In Love, Always
by NotASociopathIPromise
Summary: Chat Noir has always known that he and Ladybug have this unspoken love, has always known that they were soulmates. Upon finding out that she doesn't, he's determined to do whatever it takes to convince her. One fateful night. Two teens who want to fix everything. Three unfortunate targets. (rated teen for language)
1. Prologue

Prologue

Ladybug swung down next to Chat Noir, who had been waiting for her while she dealt with the press, covering the latest attack on their city. The teen's pigtails were slightly mussed and her face was still a bit red from the akuma fight earlier., though to Chat she looked as beautiful as ever, though he kept his mouth dutifully shut. She tossed her head to the side as she stuck her arm out, hand balled into a fist, towards her partner.

"Pound it!"

Chat Noir put a grin on his face as he turned towards Ladybug.

"You've done it again, my lady," the black cat remarked, while bumping her fist with his.

"Chat, I think you mean we've done it again," she smiled right back at him. And what a smile it was. Her eyes bright and her teeth shining. Chat was captivated. No matter what she said, he knew it was only thanks to her that they remained successful in protecting Paris from Hawkmoth's monsters. He could feel his face flushing beneath his mask as he stared at the face of his companion.

Lately, the attacks had been getting worse, but today, thanks to his partner's ingenuity and strength, the akuma had been defeated fairly quickly, the battle only lasting about an hour. Usually the fights lasted 3-4 hours, each leaving the heroes exhausted and weak, barely making it home before their transformation ran out. Right now, however, Chat felt like he could patrol the whole of the city and still feel energized.

Before he could suggest they spend the rest of the day doing just that, Ladybug's smile wanes, until only a shadow of it remains. Chat's happy mood pales with it and he wishes to bring it back.

"That was a good fight back there, you did really well. I was surprised you were able to pull that move off!" Ladybug quipped, referencing a spin-kick he had hit the akuma, Isolator, with. Though he was extremely glad she noticed, Chat wished she didn't sound like an adult praising a child.

"Though, you did take a nasty punch to the arm. Are you alright? That looked like it hurt." She looked up at him, genuine concern flashing through her eyes. Chat beamed at her, unbelievably happy she was worried about him, happy she cared. It seemed, these days, that she was the only one who did.

Chat quickly moved his arm behind his back, hiding the way it had been bent at the elbow.

"Oh, I'm fine. Don't you worry about me, Ladybug. By tomorrow, I should be fit as a fiddle! I can barely feel it anymore, already!" A lie, as his arm still very much ached, but worth it as he saw relief soften her face. He would never stress Ladybug out about him. No, she had more important things to think about. He wouldn't worry her with his problems. That was not what a good partner would do. So Chat stayed quiet about his discomfort for his lady's sake. Chat opened his mouth to talk with her more, but froze when Ladybug looked across the street at a clock, which proudly displayed the time, 5:12 p.m..

"I've got to go, Chat, but I'll see you tomorrow?" She looks at him, no question in her eyes. She knows Chat would follow her lead with an devoted smile. She knows he would do anything for her.

Chat tries to hide his disappointment, and grins even wider.

"Of course, my lady, I wish you a fine evening," Chat announced, bending down into a dramatic bow, winking in her direction. He waved an arm, adding a little flourish to his show.

Ladybug giggles at his antics, and Chat is so happy to have been able to bring her infectious smile back. So happy that he makes her happy.

"I'll see you later, Chaton." She sings as she turns away, readying her yoyo to carry her through the streets of Paris to wherever she lived. Chat had been watching for weeks and still couldn't pinpoint exactly which direction she went. She must change her route for that specific reason. The thought makes Chat internally devastated. He wished his lady trusted him more, as he trusted her. But she would always say that their identities were their most valuable possessions.

Chat stays and watches for a good 10 minutes, daydreaming about her. Picturing her. Her familiar face always prominent in his mind. Soon, though, Chat realizes he should probably get going. People might start asking the hero if he needed directions or asking if something was wrong. He decides he should head back to his house.

With a sigh, Chat realizes he should probably use his extra free time catching up on homework assignments One of the few cons of being a superhero was that his schoolwork was being neglected and homework ignored. Chat had to bring up his grades before a report card was sent home to his father, who would certainly reprimand him on his sloppiness.

His head now full of worrying thoughts about his father, the young man set off, through the city, swinging his way home.

3 hours later:

As Adrien finished up the last of his assignments 3 hours later, his thoughts strayed back to Ladybug. Plagg, I wonder what Ladybug is doing right now," the boy sighed, calling to his kwami, who was busy stuffing his face with cheese in the mini fridge Adrien kept in his room.

"Not thinking about you that's for sure. Now focus and finish your homework. You don't want to fail math again do you?" the creature grunted as he continued to dig through the fridge, probably hoping for some milk to drain too, as that was Plagg's preferred beverage.

"I already finished," Adrien sniffed, "You have no faith in me, Plagg." The blond set all of his books aside, clearing away his desk. "And she might be thinking about me, you don't know." The kwami gave Adrien a skeptical look. No matter. Adrien had faith that his Lady thought of him. He had faith in their bond. That was what Plagg had never understood. He and Ladybug were soulmates. they were meant to be together, destined even. They were in love, at least, Adrien was almost certain they were. He flirted with her relentlessly and she never rejected him, well, outright, which was understandable considering that they had to maintain a façade of professionalism. And days like today when she truly admitted she cared, when she asked about his arm, proved that. Adrien's attention returned to his arm briefly, his injury forgotten, buried by homework and thoughts of true love. For true love was what it was. Adrien had never been more sure.

Right... His arm. Adrien kept getting distracted. It still hurt like hell. He should probably have Nathalie take a look at it later.

After debating about whether to brush up on his piano skills before Gabriel Agreste, Adrien's father, arrived home and tested him, Adrien's injury and need to know more about Ladybug made up his mind. He turned on his computer and searched for the ladyblog, that Ayla, one of his classmates had made. The blog dedicated to Ladybug and Chat Noir was becoming very popular. Though it could be annoying trying to hide their secrets from the avid and thrill-seeking reporter. It was one of the main reasons that he and Ladybug weren't officially together. The press would become too much and might get in the way of a fight, trying to get a shot of the celebrity couple or would insist on them doing interviews and such. It would be very inconvenient, so he and Ladybug were forced to hide their true love for another, at least that was the reason Adrien had decided upon.

So they were forced to restrain themselves near each other, each longing to hold the other. Adrien ached to make his lady truly his. Only the knowledge that she loved him back kept him satisfied. At least he had that comfort.

Hours later, after reading, watching, and seeing everything he could find featuring Ladybug, Adrien fell asleep at his desk. A lovesick smile upon his face. Arm back to being forgotten.

The small cat-like creature know as Plagg, watched from the corner through concerned eyes. He didn't was to see his chosen hurt, but he know Adrien's relationship with Ladybug was not what he thought it was. The boy wouldn't listen though, so all the kwami could do was sleep and hope Adrien didn't act. But Plagg knew time was running out.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Adrien began to make his way up the steps of the school, careful not to jostle his arm. It had hurt so much this morning, he had to go to Nathalie for some painkillers. Adrien told her that he had been using the climbing wall that took up a large part of his bedroom. Though he used this excuse a lot, It looked like the woman had believed him.

So, now bearing a blue cast, Adrien was walking into the school, hopes set on an akuma attack cutting class short. Not only would he miss the long, boring classes, but he would get to see Ladybug too, which always lifted his spirits.

He wasn't planning on stopping and talking with anyone before class, too tired after staying up so late last night, scouring the internet for news about Ladybug, but was quickly intercepted.

"Adrikins, oh there you are!" Chloé Bourgeois sang as she approached Adrien from behind. He could smell her vanilla perfume as she got closer. He turned to face her. The pretty girl's hair was pulled back into its usual high ponytail and her pink lip gloss shined. Chloé always managed to look good, though she had pretty much nothing else going for her. The mayor's daughter quickly laced her arm through his, and reached for his hand too, but Adrien stuck it in his pocket before she could. She frowned a little at the floor and brought her hand back down.

"I was looking for you, hon. You always show up so late nowadays, though, and I rarely get to see you before class," the blonde pouted, "Is your father giving you more photoshoots recently." She waited for his nod and was unimpressed at the small frown that lay on his face. "That's a good thing, Adrihoney. He's finally acknowledging you as the future of his company, he's preparing you for when you take over. I can't wait until you do. With me as the future mayor, we could run this city." Chloé beamed at the idea, not noticing Adrien's grimace. Her one track mind didn't match up with his wishes for the future. Adrien wanted to live his own life, make his own decisions, but it seemed that nobody else agreed. And so Adrien was stuck, always trying to do what everyone wanted him to do and trying to make his father proud. That was all the poor boy had to live for, a future that he didn't want, and of course there was Ladybug, but even she could only spend time with him while he was in the mask Adrien sighed as the pair began to reach the classroom, their feet tapping in unison on the tiled floor.

Before they entered through the door, Adrien detangled himself from Chloé, glad to be rid of the girl. She always thought she knew what was best for him. She thought that they were meant for one another. As if, Adrien thought, quietly chuckling. He would never like Chloé like that and could not believe how dumb she was that she didn't understand. That she thought they were a couple. His heart was for Ladybug and Ladybug alone. Adrien cast a sad smile at his feet. She hadn't even noticed his cast.

Adrien walked behind Chloé into the classroom. He greeted his teacher and moved towards his seat, sliding onto the chair beside his best friend, Nino Lahiffe. As he began to take out his notebook and pen, Nino leaned over to him.

"Dude, what happened to your arm?" Nino glanced at his friend's cast. Adrien could hear Marinette and Ayla, the girls who sat behind them, quiet, as they too, waited for his answer. Adrien smiled inwardly, happy that he had such great friends.

"I fell off my climbing wall,"Adrien said, and before Nino could ask, he answered, "I didn't use the harness because I thought I didn't need it. Guess I was wrong," Adrien replied with a playful grin. His friends just stared at him, until Nino began to chuckle.

"Dude, what made you think you could climb that wall without a harness. Do you think you're a superhero or something," He smirked. Ayla laughed and joined him in making fun of Adrien's rash decisions, playfully teasing him. Marinette however, Adrien noticed, remained quiet, only blinking concern through her big, bluebell eyes.

"Are you sure you are okay," the shy girl asked, her hands fidgeting and her eyes wide. She was biting her lip and looked quite nervous, but that was normal. Whenever he talked to Marinette she acted like that. Adrien had deduced that she was just a nervous person.

Marinette's concern warmed his heart and Adrien beamed back at her.

"Positive! It should heal in couple of weeks and I'm on painkillers so I don't really feel any pain." he reassured her. Marinette flashed him a look of relief, then went back to staring at her lap, her hands pushing her hair out of her face. There was a trace of a smile on the girl's lips.

Satisfied with the answer he gave, Adrien turned back around to face the front of the class. Ms. Bustier was teaching them about proper french grammar, something Adrien had mastered long ago. He stifled a yawn and laid his head on his hands. He stayed like that for the rest of class, daydreaming about his Ladybug.

At lunch, Adrien sat down with his three friends and opened up the bag Nathalie had handed him before he left. Inside was an orange and a turkey sandwich, just like Adrien liked. Adrien fished it out then directed his attention to the conversation currently happening.

Nino was watching a video on his phone, completely zoned out as he ate his slice of pizza. Ayla was arguing with Marinette about something she had posted on the Ladyblog. Ayla seemed convinced that Ladybug was more important than Chat Noir, while Marinette kept saying how Ladybug and Chat were partners. This was one of the few times Adrien got to see past her nervous demeanor, and he still couldn't get used to it. Marinette was not having any of Ayla's arguments.

"Girl, have you seen Ladybug? That girl is badass," Ayla was saying, "There is no waaayy she needs Chat around. He just makes the fights go quicker. Ladybug is the one with all the real power. Can Chat purify and akuma or return the city back to normal? I think not!" Ayla was making a compelling point, though Marinette refused to back down.

"Ladybug would be nothing without Chat Noir!" Marinette exclaimed," He is always backing her up and does a lot of the fighting! And he's always sacrificing himself for Ladybug and civilians, all who would've been seriously hurt if not for him. Do you remember Timebreaker or the Illustrator? Chat Noir had to go after the Illustrator all by himself!" Marinette huffed indignantly. Marinette and Ayla stared at each other, refusing to give in. They kept at their bickering for a few minutes, but neither seemed to be winning. They were at a stalemate. Adrien decided he would give his opinion on the matter.

"I think Ayla's right," Adrien interrupted. Both girls turned their eyes on him, shocked. "Ladybug is the real superhero of their duo! Anybody can see that!" The answer was so obvious to Adrien. "Chat barely does anything to help. He's not that good at fighting or at coming up with plans. Ladybug is always the one who pulls through. If she really wanted to, she could protect Paris all on her own," Adrien spoke from the heart, releasing all of his pent up thoughts after working side-by-side with the heroine for over a year. "Chat Noir is honestly lucky that Ladybug keeps him around at all!" Adrien looked up at the best friends, one who was trying to hide her horror, and the other trying to even comprehend everything Adrien had said.

"Are you kidding me," spat Marinette. Adrien was appalled at her boldness, as this was a new side of her he was seeing. "Chat Noir is just as valuable as Ladybug! I can't believe you two. Only idiots would consider Chat Noir as less of a hero!" Marinette turned her defiant eyes towards Adrien, then, realizing what she had just implied, began to apologize. "Oh Adrien, I didn't mean that you were, you know, an idiot…," Marinette seemed to be struggling with what to say. "I just cannot believe people think that Ladybug is more important than Chat Noir!" the girl rephrased. "Again, I really don't mean to insult you, you are never wrong… well I mean you are- UH I mean…" Marinette was back to being the stuttering mess she usually was. Adrien assured her that he knew she didn't mean it, though the girl still looked worried. Adrien was impressed with this new side of Marinette and he respected her a little bit more. That didn't mean she was right, though. Ladybug would always be more important that he was, that was just a fact.

By this time, lunch was almost over and the friends started to clean up their table. Adrien looked back and gave Marinette one more reassuring smile before they headed to their next class, troubled that she would think he was mad at her. She beamed back at him, her cheeks tinged pink.

Later in the day, when Adrien was in science class, a loud thud came from outside the window. All of his classmates rushed out of their seats and towards the window. Adrien pushed his chair back and tried to get a good look at what the fuss was about. Though, Adrien didn't need to look to know it was an akuma. He grabbed his bag and, while everyone was distracted, snuck out of the room. As soon as he was sure he was alone, Adrien opened his jacket, letting his kwami fly out of its front pocket.

"Plagg, claws out!"

Chat Noir leapt from building to building towards the noise, which seemed to be heading towards downtown Paris.

When Chat finally caught up to the villain, he decided the best plan of action would be to asses the situation. He found a tall building and settled down to scope out the problem. The akuma was a man wearing a coat made of what looked like gray fur. Ears lay on top of his head and a long dog-like tail trailed behind him. The wolf-like man snarled as he hurled cars at passersby. From his perch, Chat could hear him calling,

"I am Howler. Ladybug and Chat Noir cannot save you from me," the man howled, staying true to his name. Chat's cat instincts told him that he did not want to fight this man, (animal?), alone. So Chat began to look for Ladybug.

She showed up only a few minutes after he did.

Ladybug swing onto the building across the street. Her eyes met his and she leapt over to talk with her partner.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ladybug's P.O.V.

"We never really get a break, do we?" Ladybug mused to Chat as she landed on the roof. Ladybug settled herself next to her partner. His hair was messier than usual, probably because of the wind, and his cheeks were turning pink. His green eyes turned towards her, brightening.

"Guess not," Chat replied, a small smirk appearing beneath his mask. His hands were fidgeting nervously in his lap. He must be anxious for the fight, Ladybug figured.

"Since you've found yourself this nice vantage spot, have you seen anything that might help us with the akuma?" Ladybug asked Chat. Looking somewhat ashamed, he answered.

"Sorry, I didn't. I only saw what he looked like," Chat began. "This guy was _huge_. Tall _and_ muscular _._ He was dressed like a dog… though he was all gray, so I guess that makes him a wolf," he mumbled. "He had a tail and everything! -OH and he called himself the Howler." The boy looked up at his bug, eyes hopeful. Chat had always been eager for praise. Ladybug just figured that he didn't get much in his civilian life. The thought made her sad. She only wanted the best for her best friend.

Ladybug was silent for a second.

"An animal akuma. Hmmm," she thought out loud. "He could have similar powers to Animan, or maybe Mr. Pidgeon?" Ladybug referenced the other animal akumas they had fought before. "Maybe he can control dogs and wolves? That would be good for us, there aren't many dogs living in the heart of the city. Too many buildings, not enough yards." Ladybug chuckled. Chat started to laugh along with her, somewhat forcefully and a bit too much.

"Since we don't know much, our only option is to get a closer look," She stated, beginning to stand up. She reached back down for her companion's hand and pulled him up beside her.

"Whatever you say, Ladybug!"

The pair swung through the city, watching for any signs of Howler. They finally found him after a while, standing in the middle of a street, seemingly looking for them as well, as he turned towards them and growled, his eyes glowing.

Ladybug landed fifty feet away from the villain, Chat following her lead. They exchanged nods and faced Howler, ready to attack.

Howler grins at them, showing his teeth. "Well, well, well I've been waiting for you two! You're getting slow!" Howler barked, his ears flicking back and forth. "Hawkmoth said you would be hard to defeat." The beast of a man tilted his head to the side. "Yet, somehow, I doubt that."

Chat spoke up from Ladybug's side, "You couldn't beat us! You're just a scared little puppy!"

"For a long time, people have been abusing dogs or forcing them to live in pounds. Dogs are not meant to be domestic. We are meant to be free!" Howler growled, "Today, you will be the ones defeated! Today, you will be the ones captured!"

"Did he just call himself a dog?" Chat Noir whispered to his partner. Ladybug giggled.

Despite how quiet Chat had been, Howler's big wolf ears had picked up on his remark and he bared his teeth at the cat. "I will make you pay, kitten!"

Surprisingly, he was the one to charge first. Most akumas were too scared or knew how powerful Ladybug and Chat Noir were, and avoided direct combat, but this one was different.

He started to sprint at the duo hands reached out, ready to gouge his opponents' eyes out. The man was a terrifying sight, but Ladybug knew she and Chat had faced much worse. She repositioned into a more defensive stance and waited until Howler was upon them.

Howler went after her first. Maybe it was the spots or maybe it was Hawkmoth's guidance. He moved his elbow back, still sprinting, as if to throw a punch. Ladybug figured that such a big man couldn't be that fast and if she dodged the blow, she could hit the akuma from behind. As Howler got closer, Ladybug prepared, and right before he would've made contact, she dove to the side, expecting to leave him charging into the building behind her. She turned back towards Howler, ready to land a punch of her own on the victim.

She didn't expect to receive a hard kick to the stomach barely after turning. Howler had recovered with amazing speed and seemed to realize what Ladybug planned to do. Ladybug flew back a good ten feet before slamming into an abandoned car parked on the curb. As the first wave of pain coursed through her, she curled into a ball and cried out. She could barely hear Chat's terrified scream.

" _ **Ladybug**_!"

"Ha, puny bug, you won't be moving any time soon," Howler cackled.

Ladybug turned her head toward her partner. He was staring at her with wide eyes. He started to run to her, his baton held limply in his hand. Ladybug tried to sit up, but as she felt significantly more pain, decided not to for the time being. She watched Chat as he reached out toward her, now only a few feet away. He was almost touching her when she saw movement behind him.

"Chat," Ladybug gasped shakily, "Behind you!"

Chat had barely registered her words as Howler rammed into his side, throwing them both away from Ladybug. Ladybug watched as they rolled down the street, Howler gripping the hero, ready to deliver more blows.

Chat managed to throw the villain of him and leapt to his feet, heavily panting. He backed up and began to charge at Howler, his concern for Ladybug's safety, quickly turning into a rage just as, if not more, powerful. Ladybug had learned early on that her partner's anger usually remained suppressed, and when he did get angry, Chat Noir became _livid_. Chat was not someone you wanted angry at you. Ladybug had to stop him from using his cataclysm on akumas before. Hell, Chat even scared _her_ when he was angry. Ladybug knew that now, Chat was not messing around.

Chat's baton was swinging in front of him, ready to beat up his opponent, his claws unsheathed. Chat jumped on Howler, who had also gotten up, and started to claw and beat at him. The bigger of the two easily shook Chat off and turned, ready to hit him again. Chat had regained his strength fast, though, and was already up on his feet. However unbelievably fast the Howler was, Chat was on edge and never got caught. They started up the street, both moving so fast, Ladybug saw them as blurs, though that might be the pain. Howler tried to land a hit on Chat's shoulder, but missed as Chat dodged, though it was a close call. The next hit of Howler's landed on Chat, injuring his left side. Chat started slowing, though fought through the pain and kept at it. Chat Noir got a few punches on Howler as well, not nearly as powerful as the akuma's. He did get one good kick aimed at Howler's leg, causing the great beast to whine out in pain. The fight continued for a while, Chat somehow keeping up with the giant man and occasionally landing a punch. More plentiful, however, were the Howler's hits landed on Chat Noir and Ladybug knew he wouldn't be able to keep it up for long. Howler seemed to realize this too.

"Even you will be defeated, Chat Noir. I never really liked cats much," Howler chuckled as he chased the poor hero.

It was one final hit that declared Howler the victor. The villain had distracted the black cat by feigning a dive to the right, but straightening at the last minute. As Chat turned, his reflexes didn't react quick enough and gave Howler the perfect opportunity to throw a particularly nasty punch to Chat's right arm. As he made contact, Ladybug watched Chat freeze and his eyes widened.

Chat reached for his arm, dropping to his knees. He let out a horrified shriek. Startled at the noise, Howler took a step back. After fighting Chat for so long, he hadn't expected this one hit to solely take down the hero. Chat looked up at the akuma and gritted his teeth. Then he looked back at Ladybug, who was still watching, shocked, from where she had originally fallen. Before Howler could attack him again, Chat scrambled to his feet, still clutching his arm, and sprinted towards Ladybug, Howler began to chase him, but Chat was running for both of their lives now. He was faster. As he reached Ladybug, he slid towards her, grabbed her around he waist with his good arm, and extended his baton. The pair were vaulted into the sky and they soared through the city, away from the enemy on the street below.

"GRRRR COME BACK HERE, COWARDS!"

Ladybug and Chat Noir landed on a rooftop near the park. Chat set Ladybug on the ground carefully, then flopped down beside her, panting. They laid like that for a while in silence, until Chat cleared his throat.

"Are you alright, Bug?" He peered at her nervously awaiting her answer.

Ladybug looked at Chat Noir. She groaned as she sat up. Chat reached to help her, but she waved him off. Ladybug glanced down, giving herself a quick assessment.

"I'm going to be fine," Ladybug stated, "My stomach is going to be really bruised and I think I broke a rib, but other than that I think I'll live." Chat looked at her, concerned. Ladybug noticed that he was just about ignoring his own injuries, which had to be far worse than her's.

"If you say so."

"Are you sure that _you're_ okay?" Ladybug voiced her concerns. Chat eyes widened and he raised his eyebrows. He began to slowly nod, but Ladybug wasn't satisfied. She reached out to her partner. "Come here." Reluctantly, Chat scooted over until he was close to Ladybug.

The first thing Ladybug looked at was Chat's arm. She remembered how he reacted after the hit and wanted to see the damage. Ladybug reached forward and grasped his arm. After Chat let out a strangled hiss, she loosened her grip. The arm was bent at a strange angle and if Chat wasn't wearing his suit, she was sure the arm would be purple with bruise. Ladybug had some medical experience after being Ladybug for years and recognized the break as partly healed. This wasn't the original injury. Chat must have hurt his arm before this.

Ladybug thinks back to yesterday's battle when Chat had took a hit to his arm. He had claimed that he was fine then, but obviously, it hadn't been. Also, they had _magic_ suits, made to heal them faster. That must've been a really bad injury. She looked up at her partner who was watching her face, trying to read her emotions.

"Chat why didn't you tell me that your arm was still injured after yesterday's fight?"

Chat stared at his companion, surprised by her question. Then he looked down. "I didn't want to bother you. You probably have much more important stuff to worry about than me." Chat fiddled with his hands in his lap. Ladybug stared at him.

"You _idiot_! You need to tell me these things! We're _partners,_ Chat." Ladybug whined. "You are at the _top_ of my list of things to worry about! I need to be able to trust you." Chat's head snapped up and he looked at Ladybug, his eyes shocked, then ashamed.

"I'm sorry," Chat replied, barely a whisper.

Ladybug, sensing his despair, scooted closer to him and pulled him into a comforting hug. "It's okay, Chaton."

Ladybug examined the rest of Chat Noir's cuts and bruises. Nothing was worse than his arm, but he did have a nasty scratch on his leg that was bleeding through his ripped suit. Ladybug grabbed a towel hanging on a nearby laundry line to soak it all up. She wrapped up his arm in a sheet, tucking it in tightly to secure it in place. She washed up his other wounds as well. Once she was done playing nurse, the conversation switched to the akuma.

"He was unbelievably fast," Ladybug remembered. "And strong." She thought back to how hard she had hit that car and how bad he had hit Chat's arm. "He seems to be built for battle."

Chat glanced at her and nodded. "He definitely was stronger and faster. Probably the strongest and fastest we've fought so far. And his senses were heightened as well. He's going to be tough to beat."

"One thing bothers me," Ladybug though aloud.

"Oh, yeah? What's that?"

"Where the hell was his akumatised object? I was watching him the whole time and didn't notice anything that might be it. And it's not like he could've been carrying it around the whole time!" Ladybug voiced her frustrations.

"Oh, I know," Chat mewed eagerly. "He was wearing a collar around his neck. It was mostly covered by fur, so it would've been hard to see from so far away. It looked beat up and had scratch marks on it. You could tell that someone had tried to destroy it."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It must've belonged to a dog or something, and when the victim saw it he became mad and got akumatised. I honestly don't know, but at least we know what it is."

Ladybug thought for a moment. "That's the most important part."

Chat looked up at her sadly, "It's gonna be real hard to get."

"Well then, we just got to think of a new plan."


	4. Chapter 3

Chat Noir's perspective:

His lady was always the better planner between the two. The plan she had come up with was nothing short of _brilliant_. Chat could've never come up with it himself. _He_ was as dumb as a rock.

The street was empty as Chat walked down it. All the Parisian citizens were hiding in their homes. This had been the first time in a while that Ladybug and Chat Noir hadn't taken down the akuma quickly and in their first battle. Chat tried to console the few people that he and Ladybug had seen on the way here, but had ended up telling them to hide indoors as well. Though Ladybug's plan was brilliant, the heroes didn't know that it would succeed for sure and it was best to keep the general public out of harm's way.

Chat unsheathed his claws, using one to pick the lock on the butcher shop's door. He heard a click and the padlock fell off, the door swinging open. The masked boy stepped into the room and surveyed his surroundings, glowing eyes searching, and nose sniffing, for what he needed. The counter was against the left wall, covering a wooden door that led to the storage pantry, where the meat was probably kept. A single window lit the room as Chat made his way across it, his feet moving silently on the white tiles. The shop was is pristine condition. The owner must take great pride in it. Chat gave himself a mental reminder not to ruin the shop too much. He was careful not to disturb anything as he moved. He pushed open the small swinging door that led behind the counter. Chat ran his fingers across the countertop and cash register as he passed, walking through the door leading to the back.

Chat approached an iron door and brought his fingers to the surface, remembering to avoid using his right hand. He recoiled when he felt an instant cold. Chat grinned and instead reached for the handle, yanking the door open. Slowly, as the door pulled open, light spilled into the room, slowly illuminating a meat locker. The area wasn't very large, just four grey walls that couldn't be wider than 5 feet long, though the ceiling was quite high, and it had to be as large chunks of meat were hung from the ceiling. There were also some icy shelves on the back wall that seemingly held smaller pieces of meat. Chat took a step forward into the box, his breath becoming visible in the chill that possessed the locker. He grabbed at a particularly large piece of meat that hang closest to him. A childhood such as his own had ensured that Chat knew which things were costly, so he recognized the prize piece of meat and promised himself that he would leave the owner some money, or come back later and pay. He knew that he and Ladybug had no chance of returning it. For good measure, Chat took some smaller bits of meat from the back shelves.

After dragging his haul back into the main shop, Chat walked over to the window. He looked up through the blinds at a rooftop across the street. His eyes searched for a familiar red and black silhouette, and when he found it, Chat's eyes met bright blue ones. She cocked her head to the side, waiting for a sure signal. Ladybug didn't want to come in until the last minute, lest the akuma sneak up on them last time, leaving them vulnerable. He nodded at her and gave a thumbs up. Ladybug's figure was suddenly blurred by her movement. She jumped down, landing on window frames on each floor until she reached the ground. Chat shook his head slightly with a small frown. Usually, with the powers their kwamis granted them, Ladybug and Chat Noir could've jumped from a building that high and been fine. Ladybug slowly lowering herself to the ground showed that she had not yet recovered from their earlier battle. The thought made Chat uncomfortable and somehow, again, Ladybug's problems were of higher importance than his. Chat's arm hung at his side limply.

His bug met him at the door.

"Hey, Chat, did we finally get lucky?" Ladybug grinned at him and looked around the room, surveying the meat. She seemed pleased with him. Chat was thrilled.

"Yeah, it seems we have," he smiled wide at her. This had been the fourth butcher shop they had searched. Two were empty, the owners having moved the meat out or being sold out. The other was covered in so many different kinds of security and locks, the duo had decided it was best to leave it be. The shop they were currently in had been a long shot, as it was a smaller store, and there would've probably been less meat, but Chat was pleased with what he managed to find.

Ladybug stepped forward towards the meat and reached down to her hips where she had hung a smallish fan with a belt. She unlaced the belt from the fan and set it on the ground near the meat. Ladybug bent down. Chat moved forward to help, but when Ladybug saw this she stopped and stiffened.

"Chat, you can't help me with your arm injured like that. Go take a seat somewhere," Ladybug requested. Chat looked at her indignantly. He wished to help her any way he could, arm be damned, but the glare Ladybug gave him when she saw the rebellious light in his eyes quenched any similar thoughts. Chat sighed with resignment. At least if he rested, Plagg would be able to heal his arm quicker and he could help Ladybug better in the future. And Chat knew that Ladybug only wanted what was best for him. So he pulled up a stool from the corner of the shop and watched as Ladybug began to spread the meat across the shop, placing pieces in various places. When she placed the last chunk of meat down, she turned back and walked over to the fan, turning it on. The blades spun faster and faster until all that could be seen was a blur. Air was carried around the room and through the window, taking the delicious smell of meat with it.

Across the city, a big, bad wolf paced, waiting for his enemies to return. According to Hawkmoth, the duo never gave up on a fight. Howler wasn't so sure after the beatdown he just delivered, but figured that whoever had gave him his powers knew more than he did. Howler was a simple man, and was fine following orders. So he kept pacing, waiting, until something in him finally snapped.

"Hawkmoth, they're not coming, I should go look for them," Howler growled, waiting for his invisible master to give him permission, and nervous that he wouldn't get it.

"Hmm… That might be best," came the reply. Hawkmoth had never seen Ladybug and Chat Noir so efficiently beaten by one of his akumas before and didn't really know what to do. He guessed he would have to wing it (pun. Get it? He's a butterfly). Satisfied, Howler walked to the end of the street and turned right, ready to patrol the entire city of Paris, searching for the heroes he had destroyed hours before. Though he only got four blocks before getting distracted as a breeze blew by. He stuck his nose in the air, sniffing. Howler could smell something, something _delicious_. He licked his jaws and changed his direction, heading towards the wonderful smell, Hawkmoth forgotten.

"Wha- What are you _doing?_ " Hawkmoth sputtered, watching through the villain's eyes as he bounded through the streets. "Focus! You have to look for Chat Noir and Ladybug!" but he still was ignored. Now angry, Hawkmoth decided to take a harsher approach with his victim. "Howler stop right now, or I will take away your powers!"

Howler slowed and paused for a second. He tilted his head to the side and closed his eyes, thinking. He didn't want his powers taken away. He was the only one who could free all of the dogs forced into abusive homes or kidnapped, taken from their families. If he didn't save them, nobody else would. But… the smell… Whatever it was, Howler was drawn to it and couldn't control himself, couldn't hold himself back. So he started forward once again.

Hawkmoth groaned. He had been bluffing when he said he would take away Howler's powers. Howler had been the most successful akuma for a while and if Hawkmoth revoked his powers now, his chances of capturing Ladybug and Chat Noir would be slimmer. All he could do now was sit back as Howler bounded off into the city, and hoped that the wolf villain knew what he was doing.

Chat Noir crouched behind a bench at the far end of the street, waiting for Howler to arrive. The villain shouldn't be able to resist such a delicious smell. Even Chat's inner cat was tempted by the promise of fresh meat, but he controlled himself and watched. Ladybug was across the street hiding similarly behind a bush.

Thankfully the pair didn't have to wait too long before Howler showed up. Panting, the akuma charged around the corner on Ladybug's side of the street. He skidded to a halt when he realized he had reached the smell he was following. Tentatively, Howler stepped towards the butcher shop, not noticing Ladybug. Chat was relieved, but also nervous about what was to come. If this plan failed, Ladybug and Chat would be forced to come up with a new plan or to fight Howler again, and that didn't turn out too well last time.

Howler reached the entrance to the shop and ripped the door off its hinges. Chat cringed, remembering his note from earlier to not destroy the store. He watched as Howler pushed his way through the door. Chat glanced across the street at Ladybug and their eyes met. Ladybug nodded at him and the duo got up. They started to slowly close in on the shop, preparing themselves for the worst.

When they reached the door, Chat placed himself in front of Ladybug and inched sideways into the room. His dark costume made it easy for him to blend into the shadows. He watched as Howler gouged himself on pounds of fresh meat. Chat smiled, their plan was working. Ladybug had called out a lucky charm and gotten a sleeping drug powerful enough to take out a horse. Ladybug had drugged the large hunk of meat. He only wished that it would take out this akuma. Ladybug quickly snuck into the room and hid behind the now broken door that lay discarded against the right wall. Unlike Chat, her costume was brightly colored and she would be spotted quickly if she didn't hide. Not that this was a particularly smart akuma, but whenever Ladybug was in a room, she shone. Chat knew this from experience.

Howler finished the hunk of meat he was working on and his beady eyes landed on the largest piece of meat that was half leaning on the back wall. It was obviously the juiciest one and no doubt the most delicious, but, unknown to Howler, it was also the one that was drugged. Howler reached out for it, greedy, but then suddenly stopped in his tracks. A purple butterfly faded into existence before the akuma's eyes. Chat narrowed his eyes

Howler's vision was tinted purple and the voice ringing in his ears was louder than ever

"HOWLER, do NOT eat that meat!" cried Hawkmoth, who was now very nervously wringing his hands together.

"Well, Howler murmured back, "Why not?" The meat looked delicious and there didn't seem to be any threats around.

"Look around you," Hawkmoth commanded. "You have somehow stumbled upon an open shop with meat strewn across the floor. For heaven's sake, there is a _fan_ turned _on_ that has obviously spread the smell of the meat around the city. Does that not strike you as the _slightest_ bit odd?" the villain reasoned.

"I do suppose it _is_ a tad suspicious," Howler conceded. He knew he wasn't the brightest man, but his whole situation _did_ seem a bit fishy.

Hawkmoth looked through the Howler's eyes, surveying the room as the akuma did. The large piece of meat would _not_ have just been left out while the owner hid away. Hawkmoth knew what an expensive cut of meat looked like. He spoke again, "Now the chances of you finding this place coincidentally are _astronomical_. Which means that someone was behind this. Most likely, it was Ladybug and Chat Noir."

Howler growled at that, his eyes narrowing and scanning the room in suspicion.

The mastermind shared his insight once again, "If Paris's two heroes are indeed the ones behind this, I highly doubt they did it without reason. Which _means_ that there is probably something wrong with the meat."

Howler whimpered and scratched at his ear. He had so been looking forward to the tasty meal, but now he could see that Hawkmoth was right. There probably _was_ something wrong with the meat. It was probably drugged. And if a trap had been set, Ladybug and Chat Noir couldn't be far. In fact… it was very likely they were in this very room.

Howler grinned, showing his great fangs. "Come out little kitten. Come out little bug. I suppose you wanted to avoid a rematch," the akuma teased. "Well I suppose you're out of luck."

Howler braced himself for a fight and faced the counter, an obvious hiding spot, when out of the corner of his vision, he saw the shadows morph into a young man, clad in leather and eyes glaring green as the he jumped at Howler.

 **Author's Note;** im looking for a new title of this story. The one I have now is vague and forgetful. Anyone who sees this story in their notifications won't know which it is and in my experience that's very disorientating. So please leave me suggestions. I will credit you.

also, im sorry this took so long and it's so short. one of my new year resolutions is too get on top of this story so hopefully that will change in the future


	5. Chapter 4

Chat Noir's Point of view:

Chat Noir watched from the shadows as Howler whispered to himself, seemingly in a daze. A haze of purple tinted his face. Chat waited for the akuma to snap out of it and eat the large chunk of meat in front of him. It smelled delicious from here, Chat thought as he licked his jaws. Howler shouldn't be able to resist from where he was.

But then, Howler turned suddenly, growling and lashing out. Chat was so surprised by the sudden movement that he hissed quietly, not that Howler noticed. The akuma was busy scanning the room. His vision passed over Chat Noir, the hero's suit blending in with the shadows, but looked on.

Chat tried to quickly piece together the cause of the sudden suspicion. Howler had been happily chowing down on the meat a second ago. Any interference would have had to come from an outside source. That could only mean one person; Hawkmoth. The mastermind must have figured out Ladybug's plan and stopped the akuma before he was defeated. Chat glanced at Howler. Howler must be searching for him and his Lady right now, aware of the trap. Howler had looked over Chat Noir, but the hero knew that soon, his glare would land on his Lady's hiding place. Chat Noir crouched, preparing to spring. He would die before he let Howler reach the love of his life. He narrowed his eyes at the wolf villian and when he turned away from Chat and towards the counter, that was when Chat made his move.

Chat Noir sprang on the larger man, whose eyes widened in surprise as Chat's claws sank into him. Chat hooked his feet on Howler's back, digging them in and earning a howl. Chat struggled to stay on as the wolf tried to shake him off of him, growling. The room spun along with Howler, making both opponents dizzy. Chat was clawing his way up Howler's back when a hairy and clawed hand reached back and swiped at the cat, mostly missing him, but grazing his left cheek. Chat hissed was thrown off, still trying to scratch Howler's back. The villain grunted and turned sharply, both his arms shooting forward with the intent of finding Chat's right side. Chat realized with a start, Howler must remember how Chat had reacted when his arm got hit. Chat Noir scolded himself for letting his pain show so blatantly. He was a hero for heaven's sake, he should be able to handle a little pain.

Regardless, Chat knew that if he got hit now, it would damage his arm even more than before and it would hurt 10x worse. It would be a piece of cake for Howler to pounce on him and finish it. If he got hit now, he would be unable to protect his Lady. Chat leapt at the wall, claws scrambling as he ran across it, searching for a way to get to Howler without being intercepted. His feet skidded as he pushed off and leapt by Howler, landing behind the akuma, who was still dizzy from the spinning, and managed to leave long gashes on his chest with his claws. Chat took up a defensive stance from his position on the floor, hiding his injured arm behind him and out of reach of the akuma, who was trying to leap at Chat Noir. The wolf's saliva dripped from his fangs as they got closer to Chat, and consequently, bigger. The two opponents were about to make contact again when a red blur suddenly separated the two.

Chat's wide eyes traced the blur to where Ladybug was standing beside the fallen door, glaring. Her yoyo snapped back into her hand. The akuma fixed his eyes on her and the claws that had been stubbornly turned towards Chat Noir changed targets as they instead flew at the superior miraculous wielder, entranced by the colorful, new enemy. Ladybug wasted no time and leapt right back at him. The two met at their halfway and all Chat could see were blurs, gray and red, streaking across the room.

In a fast panic, Chat looked around the room, searching for something he could use to help Ladybug. His eyes settled on the large piece of meat still sitting on the ground. Chat Noir stumbled across the room to it and scooped it up in his arms. He looked up again at the fight and watched as Ladybug landed a punch on the wolf akuma's chest. She could hold her own, but Chat could not let her do everything by herself. He did his best to sneak up on Howler, dodging every other second as the duo continued their dance, back and forth. It was almost mesmerizing to watch as the streaks of red pulled back and struck hard, but Chat scolded himself and told himself that he had a job to do. He scrambled to the right and ducked under Howler's arm, which was swinging. Chat Noir jumped in front of the punch, taking it in his side at the same moment that he shoved the piece of meat into Howler's open jaws.

Chat Noir cringed and stumbled back, holding an arm out, a signal for Ladybug to do the same, as Howler choked on the realization that he had been force fed drugged meat. He clawed at his mouth, spitting it out, but it was too late as the juices had already dripped into his mouth. Howler's yellow eyes widened and he tried to lash back out at Chat Noir, though his movements were quickly becoming sluggish. Chat easily dodged, pulling back Ladybug as well. Howler gave them one last glare before yawning enormously and promptly collapsing on the floor, snoring. Ladybug pushed away from Chat's arm, his left one mind you, which had been wrapped almost completely around her. She moved forward, walking towards Howler's sleeping figure. She bent down and reached for his neck, where his akumatized object, his collar, was. Ladybug ripped it free and a black butterfly emerged from the tear, flapping its beautifully dark wings in an attempt to escape. Ladybug caught it with her yoyo and spoke the magic words.

"Time to de-evilize!" Ladybug shouted while releasing the akuma, which had transformed into a bright, white butterfly. Chat watched in awe as it flapped out of the store and out into Paris.

Ladybug now turned towards the fan. She reached down for it and then stood up. Ladybug threw it into the air, yelling, "Miraculous Ladybug!"

Where the fan had been, a horde of ladybugs appeared, sweeping through the shop and using their magic to repair all of the damages. Chat Noir's admiration for his Lady was almost overshadowed by his relief that the shop was okay. He really didn't like to mess with people's lives and homes and whoever owned this butcher shop had done them a huge favor, unknowingly of course. Chat's just wondered how he could possibly repay him for the meat they had "borrowed." He would figure that out later. For now, Chat needed to worry about his Lady and the confused man sitting on the floor.

Ladybug crouched down beside him. "Are you okay?" The man looked up at her in confusion.

"...I'm fine," the man replied, blatantly dazed. "What happened?"

Chat answered that one. "You were akumatized by Hawkmoth." He was a bit blunt, but Chat wasn't feeling particularly patient today after all the fighting. The man seemed taken aback.

"I was? I can't remember anything!" After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Did I hurt anyone?"

Ladybug reached her hand out to him and helped him up. "Only us, and we're used to it." She winked. Chat tried not to swoon. The man seemed not to know how to feel about this news and allowed Ladybug to lead him out of the shop, where people had begun to come outside again, familiar with the magical ladybugs that ensured the battle was finished. Chat lingered in the store, checking that everything was as it should be. He walked behind the counter, though the door, and approached the meat locker. Chat opened the large door and peered inside. All of the meat was where he had found it originally. He smiled and eased the door shut again.

...

Chat dangled his feet from a Parisian rooftop, watching the people down below and enjoying the orange light of the setting sun. The Eiffel Tower stood tall in the distance. Chat's arm was feeling much better, the effects of his fight with Howler having disappeared when Ladybug had used her magic. The original injury was still there, but it was completely manageable and Chat was used to dealing with pain.

Chat had not wanted to retire for the day just yet, despite the long hours of fighting. When Chat detransformed and became Adrien, there wasn't much he could do, constantly under watch by his father, or more commonly, Nathalie. Adrien didn't have as much freedom as Chat did, didn't have his personality or charm. Chat tended to avoid spending his time as his less desirable half. And so here Chat was, handsome, heroic, free.

Despite his freedom, Chat didn't have much he _wanted_ to do if he was being honest. He was all alone, as Ladybug's transformation had run out due to her use of the lucky charm. Regardless, Chat was enjoying the quiet, something he got to do less and less as akumas became more powerful and as Adrien's life interfered. He thought about Ladybug, but that was a given. The sky turned red.

Ladybug leapt from roof to roof, finally reaching Marinette's balcony. She stepped past the plants and threw open the trapdoor, jumping down into her room. Right as her last dot disappeared from her earrings, Ladybug called out, "Spotts off!"

A flash of pink suddenly surrounded Ladybug and she closed her eyes at the familiar sensation. She felt herself slowly ebb away and split as she transformed from Ladybug into Marinette, her kinder, civilian self. Ladybug's brash and collected thoughts made room for all of Marinette's selfless and passionate ones. Marinette shook her whole body as if shedding a skin, letting go completely of Ladybug's personality. She could hear Tikki appear from her earrings and fly across the room, no doubt already searching for cookies. It had been a rough day.

Marinette smirked at the retreating kwami and turned towards her bed. Sitting down, she finally let herself relax, her muscles all wound up from Ladybug's fight earlier. She let the pale pink of her walls soothe her and soon, the young designer had fallen asleep...

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG!

Marinette woke up at 6:30 to her alarm clock screaming in her ear. She mumbled incoherently, but rolled over and pushed herself up regardless of her fatigue.

Sleepily, she stumbled across the room to her closet. All the colors and patterns made Marinette's eyes hurt. She chose a simple pair of pink capris paired with a white t-shirt with a flower pattern. On top, she wore a black jacket, the dark color much easier on her eyes. Marinette moved in front of the mirror and gave a lazy twirl. Simple, but cute.

She was satisfied and walked downstairs to her bathroom where she applied some concealer, to hide the darkness under her eyes, and some light mascara. For her hair, Marinette settled on her signature ponytails, which were both easy and adorable. She stared at her own reflection in the mirror, mentally preparing for the long day ahead.

Marinette walked down to the bakery, greeting her parents, who had already opened the store.

"Good morning, Mom. Hi Dad," Marinette said as she spun between their two shelves full of baked goods. She plucked a croissant and an egg sandwich that the bakery had recently started selling.

"Be sure not to completely deplete all of our stocks, dear," Marinette's mother called from where she was setting up tables. Marinette stuck out her tongue and walked out the door.

It was a short walk to school and Marinette enjoyed the birds' singing and the bright green grass that had started to grow in the park. She closed her eyes, humming, perfectly content. Marinette relaxed.

Yesterday's battle had been tough, more for Chat Noir than for her, but it was finished cleanly and well. And though her disappearance from math class yesterday might raise a few flags with her best friend, Alya, Marinette's disappearance every moment after was covered, as citizens had been rushed into the nearest possible building. Marinette could say that she had been at the museum or the mall and nobody would have any reason to doubt her.

As Marinette rounded her last corner and looked up at her school, at her friends, she couldn't help but be happy. She was just a glass half-full kind of person.


	6. Chapter 5

Ladybug ran along the city's rooftops, the sun bright behind her. Her feet thudding down on the tiles. Parisians below were familiar with the sound. Ladybug bent her knees down and then sprang onto the next building, moving across it with similar speed. She moved from building to building, house to house, until she finally reached her destination. Ladybug's feet skidded as she stopped suddenly, slowing to a pace closer to jogging. Ladybug strided towards the edge of the roof she was on and leaned down, sitting on the gutter. Her feet slid over the side and hung, swinging, for a moment. Ladybug reached her arms down, latching on the rod sticking off the side of the building. With her feet, she pushed herself off until she was dangling and swung her body forwards toward the lower platform.

Ladybug walked on the flat roof, leaning on the tall, lamp-like lantern that stood in the middle. She looked around, waiting for Chat Noir to show up at their meeting spot.

He usually wasn't late, more commonly arriving early, so Ladybug was a bit off-put. Ladybug was expecting him to be here already, especially considering that she, herself, was late. She hoped he hadn't gotten himself in trouble or worked his way into a mess or anything of the sort. Ladybug knew she was getting worried over nothing, he was only a few minutes late. He was allowed to be late once in a while, but she _was_ worried for him. Recently, he had been patrolling much more often and Ladybug had noticed during akuma fights that he seemed a bit tired or off. He tried not to show it, probably for her sake, but Ladybug noticed the change regardless. After the akuma, Howler, attacked a few months ago, Chat seemed more paranoid and driven.

Ladybug heard a small rustle behind her, and spun around, hand moving to her yoyo, ready to attack. After a moment, she muttered, "speak of the devil," as she faced Chat Noir, who had cheaply, tried to sneak up behind her and scare her. The hero tilted his head in confusion, but Ladybug waved him off, turning back towards her view of Paris. Guess she was the paranoid one...

"So… Did i scare you bugaboo?" Chat asked as he waggled his fingers in her face. Ladybug scoffed and rolled her eyes. He _had_ startled her a little, Ladybug admitted to herself, not that she would ever tell him. Now cross with him, she snapped at Chat.

"Chat, we have no time for silly pranks. You're late and we have to patrol," Ladybug sniffed. Chat's eyes widened and he stepped back. Maybe she shouldn't have been so blunt After all, she was late too. But Ladybug didn't take it back. What was said was said and what needed to get done would get done.

"I- I'm sorry, Ladybug. I got caught up doing homework and lost track of the time. It won't happen again…" Chat mewed ashamed. He reached up and scratched his ear. As fast as Ladybug's anger had arrived, it fizzled out. She sighed.

"Just nevermi- it's fine, Chat. It was only once. Don't feel badly." Chat's ears perked up.

"Thanks," Chat mumbled sheepishly.

"Let's start patrolling," Ladybug declared, Without waiting for Chat's reaction, she ran up to the edge of their roof and vaulted upwards, landing on the roof nextdoor. She was about to turn back when a thud sounded next to her. Ladybug smiled and took off, sprinting above the streets of Paris, her partner right behind.

Watching the streets blur beneath them, Ladybug felt a wave of calm seep its way through her, loosening her joints and and mussing her hair. She was ready for anything or anyone Hawkmoth could send her way and the knowledge made her giddy.

* * *

An hour later, the sky began to darken and the lights of Paris suddenly flickered on as the city transformed into the beautiful and dreamy realm that was the Parisian night. The Eiffel Tower stood tall in the distance, gleaming bright and overlooking the city. As the night got darker, it became harder and harder to notice the flashes of red and black moving across the roofs. Just as it was becoming harder for the civilians to see them, it was harder for the heroes to see the world as well.

Ladybug squinted down onto the street, trying to see clearly. The constant light of the city helped some, but overall, Ladybug's efforts were in vain. She couldn't see well enough so that continuing would be beneficial. Ladybug knew that the day's patrol had come to an end.

She glanced at her partner. With his cat eyes, he could, without question, see better than her. After dark, it didn't make any sense for her to remain outside. Usually when it became dark, Ladybug and Chat Noir retired for the night, but sometimes, Chat stayed out and kept patrolling. Recently he had been staying out later and later. Whenever he decided to keep going, Ladybug worried, especially when his arm was still broken. But even now with his arm healed, she was concerned.

"Chat we should head in for the night," Ladybug suggested hopefully. Chat gaze, which was so intently looking over the street below them, snapped up. He beamed at her.

"That sounds good, my lady." Chat reached down and grabbed her hand, dragging her across the roof. The pair leapt through the city until finally, they reached their rooftop, winded. They glanced at each other and grinned. Ladybug noticed that Chat's face looked a little pink. She turned away.

Ladybug sat down on the edge of the roof, her legs dangling. The wind whipped her hair into her face. She leaned backwards, propping herself up on her elbows. Now that she was done patrolling, Ladybug could finally enjoy the night. Chat walked up behind her and sat down too. They watched the city together. After a while, Chat spoke up,

"Aren't you going to go to bed?"

"Aren't you?" Ladybug shot back. Chat didn't have a reply to that. Neither moved.

"So… What's going on with you?" Chat ventured, trying to start a conversation. Ladybug took a moment to think.

"Uum- Well, I've been good. Even though we have all the new battles and stuff, I manage to stay on top of my responsibilities in my civilian life. I can't really complain about anything, so, yeah… I guess I'm good." She smiled at him. He smiled back. "What about you?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Same as you said, I've kept up with my regular stuff and can't really complain..." Chat trailed off, seemingly lost for words. Ladybug could've sworn he seemed embarrassed, shy even. It combated with his usual cheeky and brash demeanor. Ladybug refused to let their short conversation fizzle out, despite not being the one who had initiated it.

"Is your arm bothering you anymore?" It wasn't the best conversation starter, but what could you expect from an awkward 16 year old girl.

"It's fine now." Chat wasn't making this easy. Ladybug tried to think of something else.

"Have you finally beaten your friend at Ultimate Mecha Strike III yet?" She knew that Chat had been trying to beat his best friend at the game. This could work. Chat Noir grinned.

"I _have_ ," Chat began. "I've been practicing and last week, I finally beat him." He seemed excited. That was good. Ladybug let him ramble about video games for a bit. Being a player of the game herself, she could understand the thrill of beating an opponent. Sometimes, and she hated to admit this, Ladybug felt more satisfied after beating one of her friends than she did defeating an akuma. The heroes chatted mindlessly, trading tips and different cheat commands. Chat's eyes were slowly drooping, his limbs becoming loose. Ladybug thought it was just him relaxing until he yawned, a big yawn that took up half his face. The little light there was illuminated his face, where dark eye bags reached the edges of his mask. Ladybug's eyebrows knit together. She paused for a second, then continued their conversation. It was only when the conversation reached a lull that Ladybug spoke up.

"Chat… I know that you already said you were okay, but I have to wonder… Are you? Really?" Ladybug started. "Because you stay up later, you work harder. Hell, you even fight harder," Chat glanced sharply up at her, eyes slightly widened. "I worry about you, Chaton." Before he could say anything, she finished. "You just look so tired, Chat." Ladybug sighed and reached her hand up to her hair, absentmindedly combing it with her fingers. She looked away from her partner, out into the darkness. The silence stretched out.

Ladybug was worried she had stepped too far when another hand reached up for hers, grasping it. Chat intertwined his fingers with hers and brought their hands down. Ladybug was turned back towards him. His eyes glowed.

"Ladybug, I promise you that I'm okay. Don't worry about me," Chat pleaded. "I work just as hard as I have to, just as hard as you do. You give me too much credit!" Ladybug stared into his eyes, startled by the shine, glimmering from the warning of tears. There was no mistaking it now, his face was a bright pink. Ladybug still hadn't the faintest clue why.

She shook her hand from his and brought it up to his face, cupping it with her hand. With her other, she reached for his shoulder. Chat inhaled, holding his breath. "I could _never_ give you enough credit, silly kitty. You work your ass off for this city, how could I no-"

Ladybug was cut off as Chat's mouth smashed into hers, His body moving so fast that even she couldn't have seen. His shoulders squared to line up with hers and his lips pushed against hers.

If Ladybug had been asked what she thought was going to happen tonight between her and Chat, she would've been _way_ off. He was _kissing_ her. Honest to god _kissing her_. Chat reached his arms forward, pulling her head towards his, their faces pressing closer together. Ladybug's body went into shock, freezing up. Chat didn't have that problem as he pushed her back and deepened their ki-

Just as fast as their kiss had began, it ended, as Ladybug pulled her hands up and pushed against Chat's chest, forcing him away from her. He stumbled back and Ladybug scooted away, feet skidding as she tried to stand up. She turned away from him, panting, trying to breath. Her lips throbbed. She could still feel his breath on her face. Ladybug wiped her mouth, still comprehending what had just happened.

"What the _fuck_ was that," Ladybug gasped heavily. She spun towards her partner, who was staring at her, eyes wider than she'd ever seen them. Ladybug stormed up to him and he shrank back, arms raised in the air

"Chat. What did you just do," she whispered to him. Her body shook along with her voice, confused as her words were.

"I- I kissed you!" Chat shrieked, confused. His arms trembled.

"Yea- I _GOT_ THAT! _Why_ did you do it?!"

"You just looked so beautiful and I-"

"What made you think I would _want_ to kiss you?!"

" _Because we like each other!?"_

Ladybug froze. Her shoulders tensed.

"What on earth do you _mean_?" Ladybug demanded. Her eyes were now just as wide as Chat's. Inside, she was praying, begging, that Chat wasn't that stupid.

"What do _you_ mean," Chat rasped. "I thought we were having a nice moment, I thought it was a good time!" Chat kept glancing back and forth between Ladybug's eyes, his own showcasing his bafflement. Ladybug growled.

"That. Is. Not. The Issue. _Here_!" Ladybug berated, hissing between words and stamping her foot, all the while restraining herself from slapping Chat Noir, who _still_ couldn't seem to explain himself. "The issue is that you _kissed me_ and won't tell- me- why!

"Ladybug," Chat whimpered, "we're in love..!" He almost whispered the words, saying the statement in a way that made it seem more like question. Chat's incredulous tone took Ladybug aback.

"What are you _on about_?! Chat, I have no _idea_ what gave you the impression that we're in love!" Ladybug guffawed, hardly believing her partner. Did he really think she loved him? Sure he was one of her closest friends, probably her closest, actually, but she thought of Chat as a _brother_. She couldn't even imagine being with Chat.

Speaking of Chat, the teenager stepped backwards, almost tripping. His arms were no longer held up in the air, they were currently dangling loose at his sides. He was staring so intensely at Ladybug, shock echoing in his eyes, expression, and stance. His lean body began to tremble like a leaf. Ladybug struggled to catch his next words.

"but, we've always been in love… we protect each other, we care for each other…" Chat paused, his breath catching. " _I've_ always loved you." Slowly, understanding washed through his body like a wave. First, his arms and legs stiffened, reality finally hitting. Then, his face fell, physically drooping, like any effort holding to hold it together had deserted. Finally, the realization hit his eyes. The brilliant green shifted into a darkness rivaling the night around them.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chat Noir's perspective:**

Ladybug's was staring at him. Her blue eyes shone like beacons as the world around him faded to dull grey spots. A miniscule ringing in his ears dampened his hearing. His arms froze at his sides and Chat struggled to stay upright, the effort of comprehension fatiguing his body.

Chat began to shake his head, forcing the dizziness away. Even after the spots had faded and the ringing had disappeared, he kept his head rattling, too long and probably too harshly. His hands reanimated and gripped at his hair, pulling at it as Chat tried to make himself understand.

But Ladybug _kept talking_ , adding on to the long queue of things to think about.

"Chat… I- I don't know why-" Ladybug was cut off as Chat whimpered, begging her to stop messing with him. He closed his eyes. Why couldn't she just say that she loved him. Why, why, why did she have to push him away. He reached for his ears, planning to block out any sound, but was too late as he heard what she said next.

"I like someone else, Chat!" Ladybug blurted out, desperate to make him understand why he was being absurd. Her voice was unwavering and brash. Chat had not expected to hear that. He started and wrenched his hands back down to his sides. His eyebrows shot up.

"Wha- What?" Chat sputtered. That couldn't be true. Ladybug had never mentioned someone else before. She clasped her hands together and started swinging them back and forth in a suddenly nervous sort of manner.

"Uum- well, Chat. I can't possibly love you because… I like-I _love_ someone else." Ladybug seemed less sure of her words, or at least less sure of how Chat would react, as she finished her sentence. She loves… someone _else_? That didn't make sense. How could Ladybug love someone else when she was supposed to love _him_? Thinking Chat wanted more of an explanation, Ladybug continued.

"He's kind and sweet and one of the most handsome boys I've ever met. He is thoughtful, respectful, and generous! Oh Chat, if only you knew him, I'm sure you would like him too!" Ladybug gushed. With every word, Chat could feel a tiny hammer beating against his heart, chiseling and chipping away as if expecting there to be some hidden treasure on the inside.

The sudden emptiness left Chat dumbfounded and he froze. The abstract hammer kept pounding on his chest until it _hurt_. Until he was just staring in shock at his partner, watching as she raved on and on about her mystery crush.

"And he's just so amazing and I get really nervous around him and-" Ladybug's ramble halted as the heroine's eyes met her partners. Chat stared at her through the darkness, his eyes standing out from the black he was wearing. He could feel that his eyes were wet and could only imagine how red they were.

"Oh Chat…" Ladybug whispered sadly. She walked up to him and put her hands on his face, wiping away his tears. "Oh Kitty, I'm so sorry."

Chat turned away from Ladybug, jerking his body. Breathing heavily, he walked to the edge of the building. He reached for the baton strapped to his back and extended it till it touched the street below. He waited silently, not wanting to leave, but definitely not wanting to stay either. It was only when Ladybug spoke up again that his body reacted.

"Chat… It's okay! We can move past this." Chat heard the hopefulness in her voice, but felt his heart sink even farther. Move past this? Is that really what she wanted to do- forget that this ever happened? Chat reached up with his glove and messily swiped it across his face, clearing away the wetness streaking down his face. _He_ certainly wasn't going to forget. Chat Noir made a decision, squared his feet, and gripped his baton.

He launched himself through the air, vaulting down the street. Chat heard Ladybug try to say something, but he was gone. His leather shoes were flexible as he leapt from building to building, jumping on walls and over streetlamps. Chat ran from the roof and immersed himself into Paris. He soared over citizens, heading in for the night. He watched lights flicker on in beautiful Parisian homes. His breath was heavier than usual and the tears on his face made him cold.

Chat ran around the city as anything and everything progressively became more and more overwhelming. A glimpse of red would send him reeling and the sparkle of the city's light reflected the shine of her eyes. He found it harder and harder to focus, his mind trying to comprehend what had happened. It became increasingly harder to move, harder to see, harder to think. And so, Chat stopped. He emptied his mind, creating makeshift barriers between his sanity and the events of tonight. The more Chat built, the easier it became. He could finally breathe again. Chat picked up his pace.

* * *

Chat Noir reached his house at around three in the morning. He slipped in through the giant window and released his transformation. Now in his civilian form, his eyesight was that of a normal teenager and so all he could see was dark. Adrien stumbled through his room. When he felt (bumped into) his bed, he hissed. Adrien brought his knees up and crawled onto it, much like a child.

As he laid down in bed, Adrien watched the ceiling. He didn't know where Plagg could be, but in all honesty, He was trying to do as little thinking as possible. Plagg could wait for now.

How could she have done that to him? How could she have crushed him like that, destroying the only thing he had left. Destroying the only thing _they_ had left. Because if Adrien was being honest with himself, he didn't know how they could work together after this. They worked together so well because they _were_ together. Worked together so well because they were in love, in complete understanding of each other.

Adrien knew now that they weren't together. But _oh_ when they "were." Ladybug and him worked together flawlessly. Akumas always caused some problems, but his and Ladybug's teamwork always turned things right in the end. Ladybug would come up with the most genius idea and Chat would realize it. They were unstoppable together, they were unstoppable because they knew the other would always have their backs. Trust, responsibility, and _love_ made them so successful. Adrien now knew that the love was fake, but he hadn't before. Would the pair be able to understand each other now? Would Adrien ever again feel like he knew his partner better than the back of his hand. The answer was simple: they weren't and he wasn't.

Adrien's heart pounded in his chest. He didn't know how. That should have been impossible considering he had felt it break apart, grinding into dust, earlier that night. God what had Ladybug done to him. Still determined to keep his walls up, Adrien rolled over.

 _Think of anything, okay? Anything to keep_ her _off your mind_.

 _Think of school, think of friends._

 _Think of Nino and think of Dad._

 _Think of Paris and think of Plagg._

… _._

 _Think of Mom._

That last one had grounded him in the past, had always calmed him down. Had always helped control his thoughts. Whenever Adrien felt like he was drowning, felt like he was falling (and this happened more often than you would think) thoughts of his mother always brought him back. Always made him safe. Ladybug usually always worked too, though for blatant reasons, Adrien didn't call upon her tonight.

This time however, Mom wasn't enough. Whether it was that tonight's memories were too powerful to ignore or that Adrien's memories of his mom were fading, She couldn't save him right now. The thought made Adrien's eyes tear up even more.

No matter how much his mind searched for an escape, his captor could not be avoided. The memories couldn't be stopped. They attacked Adrien's head, pounding away at the walls he had sloppily put up. Soon Adrien couldn't resist anymore and he gave up. This enemy was stronger than any he had defeated before; stronger than both the akumas Hawkmoth had sent his way and the demons that plagued Adrien whenever he was alone.

Adrien closed his eyes as his self preservation splintered apart. Slowly, the night began to corrupt his head. Second by agonizing second, harmful memories poured back in. Adrien laid still, slow tears slipping between his eyelids. It wasn't long until his sadness had drenched his face and left his mouth was salty. Adrien's shoulders shook as he sobbed.

Ladybug's mystery crush, huh? Her unknown lover. Adrien felt as if a cruel joke had been played on him. And in a way, it had. Here he was crying into his blankets like a little kid while Ladybug was probably asleep at home, dreaming happy dreams about her crush.

" _Who is he_?" Adrien asked himself, drilling the question into his brain over and over. Who could Ladybug's crush possible be? Adrien's eyes narrowed as he ransacked his memories, searching for any clues about Ladybug's mystery love. He couldn't think of anything. Adrien sniffed. _Who is he. Who is this guy, this thief, that has taken Ladybug away from me- has robbed me of true love?_ That was the question that tore Adrien's head apart searching for an answer, its missing piece.

That was it. All he needed. The only thing that stood between him and Ladybug was that crush.

The thing was…

 _How am I supposed to figure out Ladybug's crush when I don't even know who_ Ladybug _is!?_

...

And just like that, Adrien got an idea.

He wiped his eyes as he ripped his blanket off of him, practically launching himself out of him bed. His feet landed on the fancy hardwood of the floors. For a lucid moment, Adrien could see, his eyes cleared of tears.

All Adrien had to do to find out Ladybug's crush's identity was to find out _Ladybug's_ first. He had been careful to never invade her privacy, had always agreed that their civilian names should be kept secret. But in a situation such as this, Adrien was _sure_ she would agree with him that this was the only way.

Adrien was sure she'd agree…

Well at least he _used to be_ sure. Now…

He didn't know. He didn't know _her_.

But out of respect for the personality living inside his head, his soulmate, his one true love, Adrien couldn't give up. If not for himself, Adrien would do this for _her_ , or at least the Ladybug he had known her to be. For the Ladybug he knew, Adrien would do anything.

And saving their love was the least he could do.


	8. Chapter 7

**Marinette's perspective:**

Marinette ran up the steps to her school, out of breath and clutching her school bag to her chest. She was late and had practically sprinted the whole way there, granted it was only a few blocks and she should have way more stamina based off of all the akuma fights she had fought as Ladybug. Still… she was going to be late and Marinette couldn't afford to get another tardy slip. Taking the inside flight of stairs by three and basically flying through the corridor, Marinette's feet planted right outside her homeroom door. The girl took a moment to make sure he hair was fine and that nothing had fallen out of her bag. Once she was satisfied, she wedged open the door and stepped inside.

Instantly, the buzz of conversation filled Marinette's ears. Nino and Alya were chatting from their seats. Alix, Kim, and Max were talking in the back. Chloe was gossiping in the front with Sabrina. Using her classmates words as a distraction (both for herself and others), Marinette made her way to her seat, where she set her bag down, and plopped into the seat. She closed her eyes. Alya and Nino's conversation grew quiet for a couple of seconds, Marinette assumed Alya was trying to greet her, then resumed as the bluenette refused to acknowledge her friend's welcome. Marinette had too much on her mind to worry about that.

The final bell rang and all of Marinette's classmates went to their desks, sitting down. Their teacher, Ms. Bustier, got up from her seat in the corner, Marinette hadn't noticed her before.

"Guys, quiet down, quiet down. Class is starting," Ms. Bustier commanded, waving a pen through the air. "I'm gonna need to take attendance, so just say 'here' when I call your name. Alix?"

"Here."

Marinette tuned out.

"Alya?"

"Here."

A flashback from the previous night popped up at the front of Marinette's brain, dominating over anything else. The memory of last night, of Chat's declaration of love… of Ladybug's blunt rejection.

"Chloe?"

"Here."

Marinette just didn't understand why Chat thought what he did. Did she accidently lead him on? Did she drop hints or tell flirty jokes?

"Ivan?"

"Yea- Here."

"Juleka?"

"Here."

Last night was so weird and so dark that Marinette didn't want to trust herself to remember everything. Maybe she was making this up? ...No, she was sure it had happened.

"Marc?"

"Here."

"Max?"

"Present."

No matter the details of last night, what Marinette knew was that she had rejected Chat Noir. Rejected her best friend. Marinette felt so bad about that, but knew deep down there was nothing else she could have done. She didn't like Chat… at least, not like that.

"Mylene?"

"Here."

"Sabrina?"

"Here."

"Kim?"

"I'm here."

A big part of Marinette wanted to find Chat, wanted to comfort him, saying that she understood now. Saying that she did love him. Marinette wished she did, but that's not how love works. If only she could choose who she loved… Marinette would put Chat above everyone else.

"Nino?"

"Here."

"Rose?"

A tiny squeak from the back of the room; "Here."

"Nathaniel?"

"Here."

Ms. Bustier's voice interrupted Marinette's thoughts, reminding her that there _was one_ person that no matter what, she would put above Chat Noir. There was someone that she _was_ in love with.

"Adrien?"

Marinette's head snapped up at the name of her crush. She could hear Alya snicker beside her, but Mari couldn't help it, it was a reflex. Now paying full attention to Ms. Bustier and her surroundings, she glared at Alya. Who was she to mock her love. Marinette stuck out her tongue.

"...Adrien?"

 _Why Is Ms. Bustier calling Adrien's name twice?_ Marinette glanced around the room in confusion. He wasn't sitting in his seat and Marinette couldn't spot the blond hiding in the back and talking (that wasn't his style anyways). _Has Adrien just not shown up?_ She frowned.

 _I hope he isn't sick_ … Marinette's eyebrows knitted together and she sighed. Things were weird. First Chat had confessed to her and now Adrien was late (at the time, the two seemed proportionate). What horrible luck. Before Marinette could drift off into her head again, Ms. Bustier called her name.

"Marinette?"

Marinette glanced up, surprised. "Wha- oh um… Here." She fumbled her words. Marinette could feel Alya looking at her and laid her head onto her arms. She would deal with Alya later.

Actually, if Marinette was being honest with herself, Adrien's absence did leave her a good opportunity to weigh her decisions with Chat. Not rejecting him of course, She would have never accepted his declaration of love. She just didn't feel like she loved him. Mostly, she was worried about how she said it. Ladybug had tried to let him down softly (after heavily berating him at first) though she was never the best at controlling her tone and she didn't really understand subtlety.

 _God. What if I've ruined our whole relationship_? Marinette didn't know what she'd do if she couldn't confide in her partner. She loved their whole friendship and dynamic dearly and the thought that she could have jeopardized it all terrified her. What if he never talked to her again? Or worse; what if he did? Marinette didn't think she could face the superhero after all that either. _What a mess…_

Marinette spent her next three classes worrying over Chat Noir, their partnership, and their friendship. Math, Science, and French were a blur. It was only in History that she was able to put her thoughts aside.

She was just copying down notes when Marinette heard the door creak open. She ignored the noise, not wanting to fall behind on the notes and look up. The teacher was talking to someone in the front of the room. Marinette scribbled in the last couple of important dates and sighed, closing her eyes and leaning back. She almost jumped out of her chair when the seat right in front of her creaked loudly. Marinette slowly cracked open her eyes.

"Sorry," apologized a sheepish Adrien, standing above his chair. His bag was swung over his shoulder and his eyes crinkled when he smiled. For the second time that morning, Marinette was paying full attention. She smiled shyly back at him.

"U-um no, it's okay," Marinette mumbled back. At this, Adrien laughed and sat down in his chair. His back turned to Mari and his bag slumped down onto the ground. Adrien's sudden appearance filled Marinette's mind with all sorts of new material to think about.

First of all: _wow_. Everyday Marinette seemed to forget how great Adrien was and how handsome he looked. He was always such a perfect gentleman and super nice. Marinette's heart pounded in her chest and her face turned a little pink. Just like every day before, Marinette was smitten.

Secondly; Why had Adrien been late? He didn't exactly _look_ sick. He acted normal and it didn't seem like he was uncomfortable. And if he _was_ sick, it wouldn't made sense that he came to school at all. Gabriel Agreste wouldn't have allowed it.

And so if Adrien wasn't sick, why was he late? Marinette knew he didn't have anything scheduled for today (she kept a copy of his calendar) so a photoshoot wasn't a plausible option. Marinette tried to take a closer look. She leaned forward in her chair until she was practically on top of her desk. She stared at the back of Adrien's blond hair and looked for clues.

At first, Adrien looked perfectly normal. His hair was styled well and his clothes all matched. It was when he turned his head to the side that Marinette noticed anything different. His eyes, though still bright green, were slightly red and Adrien had dark bags underneath his eyes. He looked tired. _Why was he up so late_?

In all fairness, Marinette hadn't gotten that much sleep either, but she knew that she didn't look as bad as Adrien (or did she? She hoped not). Damn that boy had to be running on 2-3 hours. Now that she was looking for it, Marinette could see that Adrien's posture wasn't the best and he kept resting his head on his hand. This was unusual; Adrien normally had perfect posture and loads of energy. Something was different today. Was his schedule that demanding? No… Adrien's father was distant and controlling most of the time, but he wouldn't have made Adrien stay up all night. It must've been a conscious choice. Marinette didn't know what he had been doing or why he stayed up, but she was automatically invested.

A tap on her shoulder awakened Marinette to the rest of her classmates. She looked up only to see Alya watching her. Alya's fingers twitched as if trying to spell something out as she mouthed the words, "Girl, you're drooling." Instantly Marinette wiped the edges of her mouth with her sleeve self-consciously.

"Thanks," came Marinette's mouthed reply. She felt bad for ignoring Alya that morning and turned to her to chat about her observation of Adrien. Marinette had just opened her mouth again when someone cleared their throat.

"Ahem. Marinette and Alya, please wait until class is over to hold discussions," their teacher chided. Bashfully, the two girls looked away from each other. Marinette resolved to talk to Alya at lunch. Anyway, it's not like she had much to tell anyway. Marinette had only noticed that Adrien looked tired. There was a good chance that it was nothing of significance. She was probably being dramatic (she tended to be in situations pertaining to Adrien).

Marinette sighed as she started to write her notes again. She was _definitely_ being dramatic…

She kept telling herself that until lunch.

* * *

Marinette sat down at her usual lunch table. Alya was already there, as was Nino. The two greeted her as Marinette placed her bagged lunch in front of her seat, opening it and taking out her sandwich.

Alya slid over, bumping lightly into Marinette. "So what's up? You've been acting distant all morning. Has something happened, have you talked more to Adrien maybe… I noticed you seemed really into him earlier." The brunette grinned. Marinette turned towards her friend, ready to talk.

"It's just that he came in so late today. And he didn't look sick and I know for a fact that there wasn't anything on his calendar for this morning." At that Nino shook his head slowly, half-listening from his corner of the table "He also looked so _tired_ , like he had barely slept. What if he had nightmares or what if he was worried about something? I don't know, Alya, but I can't help but be worried for him I mean it's _Adrien_. When have you known him to be irresponsible or have trouble sleeping?" Marinette rambled, desperate to explain to Alya.

"Girl, girl _relax_. He's probably fine. It's not like staying up late one time is the worst thing a person could do. You're being dramatic. And, I mean, who knows if he was even up late? He was facing the front of the room for most of class. Maybe you saw something that wasn't there, overcompensating for not seeing him that morning. Who knows why he was late for class. And who cares? He's here now." As always, Alya was right. It really _didn't_ matter. Sometimes Marinette's head got so jumbled up and she worked herself up. Adrien was fine. Everything was fine. She smiled at Alya, happy for her guidance then turned back to her sandwich. She had taken a few bites when Adrien himself arrived.

"Hey guys. What's up?" The blond set his own lunch at his seat next to Nino. Startled by his sudden appearance, Marinette stuttered.

"Um, Hi Adrien." She giggled quietly. He smiled at her

"Yeah we're all good. Nothing's happening," interrupted Alya who was desperately trying to save Marinette from embarrassing herself (they'd been through this before). "So what about you, Adrien? I noticed you were pretty late for class earlier." smooth, Alya, smooth.

Adrien looked momentarily uncomfortable. He scratched the back of his neck as he answered. "Uh- Actually I had a quick dentist appointment this morning. It was unplanned, Father only made the appointment last night. So everything was a bit of a rush."

Marinette's nervousness was quick to act, but at this moment, her mouth was quicker. "Yeah, but why do you look so tired?" Adrien looked as taken aback as Marinette after hearing her own voice talking _to Adrien_.

"... actually… um, I had lots of homework last night and I was up all night doing that. The physics was really difficult."

That made a little sense. They _had_ had a lot of homework the night before (Marinette had managed to do hers before patrol). If you put your homework off, it would've been a mad dash to finish.

Still though… Adrien was normally excellent at physics. But who could blame him, the worksheets they had to do _were_ really hard. And so Marinette let his excuse slide, not like she'd ever think he was lying anyway. Nino volunteered to help.

"Hey man, I could tutor you if you'd like?" Nino wasn't the top student, but he would never let his friend down.

"Um, yeah. That sounds good. Thanks," Adrien replied bluntly. Nino grinned at him and thumped his back.

Maeinette smiled softly behind her hand. Adrien was acting relatively normal and her day was going pretty well. Maybe she should take Alya's advice and stop worrying about Adrien so much. Marinette had to admit that sometimes, she got a little out of control.

She enjoyed roughly three minutes of lunch time bliss. It was cut short because no matter how much she put it off, there was something else that Marinette had to worry about. Something nearly as important.

And Adrien… Well, Adrien had never stopped thinking.


	9. Chapter 8

Adrien's p.o.v.

Adrien was the first to leave the table, his head too scrambled to keep talking with his friends. The table had felt different today. Not different as in unusual, their table never felt normal to Adrien, but different as in uneasy and wary. As if his friends were unsettled or confused. Alya was the same, but Nino and Marinette seemed off. Not that he could honestly tell. Apparently he was very bad at reading people. What kind of asshole can't understand his own friends…..? What kind of asshole can't understand his own partner..?

No matter what, Ladybug was constantly on his mind. Adrien couldn't look around his classroom without seeing her, couldn't listen to the lesson without hearing her voice in his head. Couldn't look his friends in the eye without seeing her bright, blue ones. Everything and everyone reminded him of her and Adrien hated it.

Adrien had tried all night to distract himself from this new reality. Soon he would fix that, soon things would go back to normal, but right now Ladybug didn't love him. She didn't recognize what they had. She had been brainwashed by some scoundrel.. Ladybug needed help. Ladybug needed Chat to fix her, to heal her mind. You idiot. You'll never be able to convince her if you can't convince yourself… Adrien wouldn't be able to fix her if he didn't understand what was going on.

But his brain wasn't compliant. It asked all sorts of questions, wondering if he was right, if Ladybug was lying about her crush, if Ladybug hadn't even loved him. Adrien just had to persevere through these thoughts. He had to wash it all away like it didn't- because it didn't bother him. After all, he who perseveres, conquers. And he who fakes it, makes it.

He walked over to the trash can and dumped his lunch, not hungry. Unlucky for Adrien, it wasn't his stomach that bothered him. It was his heart. It was his head. The exhaustion didn't help either. Adrien yawned as he walked up the stairs.

The excuse Adrien gave for his tiredness wasn't the best. Physics homework? Really? Even though it was one of Adrien's best subjects, everyone seemed to buy it. Hell, Nino even volunteered to help him study. Adrien didn't know whether to feel offended or honored. Regardless, Adrien would have to make up some excuse as to why he couldn't go to a study session. All his lies were eating him up.

Adrien walked into his next class. He located his chair and moved towards it, swinging is bag from around his shoulder to the ground. Only then did Adrien look up and see… that the room was empty? Adrien checked his watch and smacked his head. He was almost 20 minutes early. Nobody was here yet. Adrien sighed, resigning himself to bend over again and pick up his bag. He almost jumped when a voice spoke up from behind him.

"Adrien. You're early for class," an amused chuckle told Adrien that his teacher, Mr. Dubois, was also in the classroom. He turned around in his seat to face him. Mr. Dubois's large, round glasses covered a good amount of his face and the teacher's curly brown hair covered the rest.

"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was so early. I can leave if you want." Adrien stood up, hurriedly gathering his things, ready to leave.

His teacher raised his hands. "Oh, no, stay. It's fine. I'm always happy to see students so eager to get to class." Mr. Dubois reached the last of the books he was shelving and walked back up to the front of the room, seating himself behind his desk.

Adrien smiled sheepishly. "Thank you…" he mumbled. He sat back down, placing his bag next to his chair. Adrien reached into it and pulled out some of his history homework. He and Mr. Dubois sat alone in silence, each working on their own thing, until the teacher felt the need to speak. He cleared his throat.

"Adrien… Are you alright? You seem a little out of it today." Mr. Dubois was looking at Adrien when he glanced up.

"Oh, uh- yeah. I'm fine." Adrien tried to reply as bluntly as possible. Damn… Is it that noticeable? First lunch and now this? Did Adrien really look that bad? Though it's not like he could've helped it. Adrien had stayed up all night planning and thinking. About love, about Ladybug… Adrien knew he looked tired, but it was worth the plan cooking up in his head. It was worth the gratitude he knew he would see on Ladybug's face.

Mr. Dubois stared at Adrien suspiciously for a few more seconds before shrugging and returning to grading quizzes from one of his morning classes. He knew about teenagers and their awful sense of self-care and lack of regard to their responsibilities. Though it had taken Adrien a long time to catch up on his peers, finally it seemed like he was becoming that typical teenage douchebag. Great, another promising student ruined by the guiding hand of social flow. Not much Mr. Dubois could do about that. He focused back onto his papers.

Adrien tried to focus on his homework, but kept failing. His thoughts kept drifting and changing. Growing and evolving. His eyelids dipped every once in a while and Adrien had to concentrate on keeping them up. It was better now than this morning when the newness of the exhaustion had kept Adrien in a zombie-like state for hours, but it was still annoying and fatiguing to force his eyes open.

When the bell rang, Adrien almost jumped. His hand was asleep and had a little drool on it. Adrien wiped it away on his jeans, quickly recovering from his impromptu nap. It's good. Everything's good. Just wake up. Adrien gave himself a little pep talk as the last of his classmates piled in through the door. Alya was in his class (having had pretty strict and expectant parents), and she waved when she walked in. Adrien smiled at her and lifted a hand to return the gesture. Mr. Dubois grabbed his chalk and stood up. He began to write on the board.

"As you can see class, today we will be learning about exponential functions." He underlined the subject matter as he spoke. Adrien could hear the sound of pens pressing on paper all around. "We've covered a lot of the material in our last unit, but now we're going to be focusing on the graphing. The graph of the function f(x)=bxf(x)=bx has a y-intercept at (0,1)(0,1)," Mr. Dubois leapt into his lesson as dozens of students attempted to stay on top of the notes. "-domain of (−∞,∞)(−∞,∞), range of (0,∞)(0,∞), and horizontal asymptote of y=0y=0."

Adrien tuned out as his teacher droned on. Mr. Dubois was a nice enough guy, but he wasn't the most interesting. Adrien stared at the words on the chalkboard, letting his eyes unfocus and letting go of himself. He drifted into his thoughts as effortlessly as Alya was solving the problem (that girl was smart, and this was the advanced math class).

He'd get the notes from her later anyway.

* * *

Adrien walked down the front steps of school, letting everyone's mutual happiness lift him up. He breathed in the fresh air and waved goodbye to Nino who was staying later to make-up a test. Then, Adrien moved over to his car where his bodyguard was waiting for him. He got into the car, sad to leave school, and they drove home. Everything was nice, calm, and normal until Adrien reached his room and closed the door. A blur exploded out of his pocket.

"The hell is wrong with you kid?!" Plagg's jarring voice disrupted the tranquility of Adrien's mind. "You on some anesthetics right now or something?" Plagg was frustrated. Adrien calmly unpacked his backpack.

"I don't really know what you mean Plagg," came Adrien's reply as he hummed himself a song he had heard from the radio on the way home.

"Oh, don't give me any of that. Last night you were a crying mess, Now, what are you, suddenly all better or something, huh? You all chipper now?" Plagg was confused, and he didn't like to be. Finally, Adrien laid his books down, looking Plagg straight in the eyes.

"Plagg, don't you see, I have nothing to worry about now. I made a plan. And it's a very good one. So why would I stress myself out over a problem I've already solved, huh?"

To that, Plagg was flabbergasted. "Dude, you were really serious about that plan? The one you thought of last night? I mean it took you like two hours to think of because you could barely pull yourself together. I sure hope you're not talking about that plan."

Adrien repeated himself, "It's a good plan…" He frowned at the kwami. What was he trying to say.

"You can't do that plan!" Plagg basically shouted to Adrien. "That was the worst plan I've ever heard, and I'm me. You wanted to follow around Ladybug until she detransformed! Don't you see how stupid that would be? Not only would you be trying to follow her forever because she follows the rules and is probably really careful about that, but I can't even believe that you just want to figure out her identity. Adrien, that goes against the rules! You can't just do that!"

Adrien shushed Plagg. "Do you want my father to hear you!?" Also, why should I follow the rules anymore? Those were set for immature and new kids that didn't know what they were doing. Me and Ladybug are older now! We are experienced and can handle knowing one another's identities! Plagg, I've thought this through, you know I have!" Plagg had to admit he was right about that, Adrien had spent the better part of last night thinking in circles all the while revolving around the idea of a reveal. But while that was true, Plagg couldn't confirm the rest of the statements Adrien was making...

"Older? More experienced? Adrien you don't understand how childish you sound! The rules were put in there not only to guide you through the beginning of your new life, but also to keep you both safe! If you and Ladybug knew each other's identities and one of you got akumatized, it would be game over! You've already gotten close with Dark Cupid, the Puppeteer, Princess Fragrance, and I'm probably forgetting a few! If you had known each other's identities then, you would have lost that fight. Ladybug would have lost that fight." Adrien had gone mute. Plagg continued. "Face it, kid. You're better off like this." Plagg thought that Adrien was finally coming to his senses, finally listening to him. He hated to be so blunt like this to the kid, but someone had to knock some sense into him. But instead or reluctantly agreeing, like Plagg had expected, Adrien showed the realest emotion Plagg had seen from him all day.

Adrien hissed slowly through his teeth, staring at the floor. "You're wrong… if we had known each other's identities we would've been stronger. We would've worked together better. We would understand each other better. We could've helped each other out in both our superhero lives and our civilian ones, covering for the other when they needed it. If we knew each other's identities, we would be closer, smarter, more powerful than we are today!" Adrien's voice progressively lifted from his whisper into a louder tone as he spilled his words and thoughts out into the room for Plagg to see. "If we had known each other's identities, we wouldn't be in this mess! I wouldn't be in this mess! Everything that has gone wrong in the last 24 hours is because of you and your stupid rules, and your stupid master. When will you see that I'm not stupid. If we had known each other's identities, I would know who Ladybug was and I could protect her from the person who's trying to confuse her, trying to brainwash her! If we had known each other's identities, I would've done what I have to do much earlier. I am going to find that asshole, that scumbag that it trying to hurt her and I will get rid of him. I will find him and in doing so I will fix her, I will fix us.

On his last words, Adrien's voice cracked as tears leapt into his eyes, already spilling out. Red-faced and sniffling, Adrien shoved past Plagg, moving over to his desk. Plagg could feel the waves of anger, embarrassment, and despair coming off him. It made the air hard to breathe. Only once he's calmed down a bit does Adrien talk again.

"This is the only way. She would've wanted it this way…"

Plagg was speechless. He didn't know what to say, didn't even know what to think. Adrien straightened his shirt and sniffs one last time.

"And if I know how to do anything right, it's how to take someone down."


	10. Chapter 9

Tikki's p.o.v.:

"Tikki, do you think that he hates me?" Marinette sniffled from her desk as she spun in her chair. She must've been getting dizzy, but maybe that was the point.

"You have to move on from this, Mari. You've already asked that. _Twice_." The kwami grumbled from her perch atop Marinette's bed. Usually she was patient and open towards her holder, but even Tikki couldn't handle the emotions once they had gotten home. At school, Marinette was confined to her own head, but in the privacy of her room, the girl rambled on to Tikki. It was all Tikki could do to stop herself from shouting. "I'm sure he doesn't hate you. Heck, he said he _loved_ you. If he really did, then there is no way he could hate you just like that," Tikki tried to reason.

"Oh, Tikki, you don't know Chat like I do! He's extremely sensitive and kind. I can't let Paris down because he decides to hate me!" Marinette's voice turned high-pitched and shrill. "I just can't!"

"Well you're going to have to deal with that soon. You have a patrol again tomorrow night."

The color drained from Marinette's face. "A- A patrol! So soon! Oh _no_. Oh no no no no. Are you sure? This is _horrible_. I'll never be able to face him again, let alone tomorrow night!"

"Marinette, for Paris's sake, you have to stay strong!"

"... But how can I…" Marinette paused, trying to calm herself down. "You're probably right. I'm probably being _way_ too dramatic. I'm sure he doesn't even care that much. He probably heard about my crush and decided that was that! I'm _totally_ blowing this out of proportion. I can be strong for Paris. I can stay strong..."

Tikki wasn't too sure about all of _that_ , but hey, it seemed to be working. "For sure, Marinette. Just stay strong and you can make it through this."

"...Yeah, got it." Marinette said gravely. Her face had the still and relaxed look of someone who was calm, but you could see it in her eyes that she was still panicking. Tikki didn't want to leave the girl like this, but she had important things to do.

Tikki tried to sort the words out in her head, testing the correct ones as to not give any information that might cause Marinette harm. "I believe in you. Also, Marinette, and sorry for the short notice, but I have to go to Master Fu's today. Preferably like right now." Marinette's eyes widened quickly and her head snapped up. Tikki winced. Sometimes, she was worse at subtlety than Marinette. "I have to give him my monthly check-in." Now Marinette just looked confused.

"Monthly check-in? I don't remember a monthly check-in, but I suppose you could have left when I was asleep. But… ACTUALLY, this is _perfect_. I have something I want to talk to Master Fu about too! We can go together!" Marinette's face lit up into a smile. It was Tikki's turn to be surprised.

"Uh-um why would you want to go visit Master Fu? You haven't been there in a while, ever since you let him know about Chat's arm a few months back." Tikki _really_ didn't want Marinette coming along. She had meant to tell Fu about the disastrous patrol, but she couldn't say all that in front of Marinette after she had basically preached that everything was fine, that Chat was fine.

"I have a request to make. I'm finally taking up one of his offers from forever ago. I wasn't sure before, but now I think it's the right decision… After last night… Yes, I'm _sure_ this is the right decision. It will fix things, help us regain our teamwork and trust! It will help us be strong."

"What do you mean?" Tikki had absolutely _no_ idea what Marinette was talking about.

"I'm going to give out a miraculous."

* * *

"You're going to _what?_ " Tikki shouted at Marinette as she walked out her bedroom door, quickly gathering what she needed. Her parents were in the bakery, they wouldn't notice if she took the side entrance out.

"Give out a miraculous," Marinette said simply, as if she didn't know that Tikki would want an _explanation_ or an _elaboration_.

"Wha- wha- Why!?"

"It'll make things better…"

" _How?!_ "

"... it just… will, okay?"

"That is just...crazy." Tikki's own plans almost completely vanished from her mind. Marinette's required her full attention. "I just don't get it!"

Marinette shrugged in response. "Like I said, I've been thinking. Even before last night, for months even, the thought started circling around my head. It's just that I'm more sure of it now than ever."

"Marinette, I want to be perfectly clear on this. You are going to Master Fu's to get a _new miraculous from him_? You are going to grant someone new powers?!"

"That's what I said wasn't it...?"

Tikki sped up as Marinette opened her front door and stepped out onto the sidewalk. "I just… Marinette this is so sudden! You just decided this with no prior give to your thinking! You never even asked _me_ about this!"

Marinette sighed. "Tikki, think about it. Hawkmoth is getting stronger. His akumas have been more and more powerful. Chat and I… we've almost been taken down a number of times. Remember Dark Owl, Howler, etcetera. Maybe if we weren't on our own anymore, we could keep Paris safe… _safer_. It has been just me and Chat for _so long_ and I have to remember that Fu offered this a while back. He said that if we needed, he would give me another miraculous to hand out as I see fit. I haven't thought we needed it before now, but _this is the time_. This is the right choice to make for Paris"

Tikki was silent for a moment, floating near Marinette's hand, trying to stay as inconspicuous as possible as the two moved through the streets of Paris. There was the side of Marinette that Tikki respected. The Ladybug she loved to hear. The one who was dedicated to her city, dedicated to doing the right thing. Granted, Tikki still thought Marinette was being reckless, but she _had_ to admire honorable motive.

She almost didn't hear Marinette as she mumbled, "Maybe also things wouldn't be so awkward with Chat next patrol…"

Tikki sighed. _Oh_. So _that_ was the reason… Tikki should have known. Marinette _did_ love her city and would always protect it fiercely, but her love for people paired with her fear of disappointing usually put her own problems first above Paris's. To be completely honest, Tikki understood where she was coming from. With a new superhero to train, Ladybug and Chat Noir might be better able to cope with the new status of their relationship. It would give them something else to think and talk about tomorrow night, and it _would_ be a good defense against Hawkmoth's powerful recruits. But on the other hand, a distraction was still a distraction, no matter what form it took. A new hero would cause confusion and change to an already pretty methodic system. Though after proper training and experience, the hero would be useful, at first, a new hero would only be a setback. And it won't fix anything between Chat and Ladybug. Last night still happened, whether the two of them wanted to accept it or not. You couldn't just cover it up and expect everything to be okay. Tikki remained silent for the rest of the walk. Marinette, it seemed, didn't have anything else to say either. Only when they rounded the corner onto Master Fu's street did Tikki respond.

"Whatever your reasoning… Marinette, I hope you've thought this through. I hope that you haven't made this decision as quickly and rashly as it seems. I hope that you know what you're doing." Right after Tikki finished her sentence, Marinette knocked loudly on Fu's door. Tikki didn't receive a spoken reply, but before the door swung open, she could see Marinette's eyebrows knitting together and her head bobbing slowly up and down. She couldn't see her eyes though.

The door creaked as it opened, light spilling out onto the sidewalk around Marinette's silhouette. The glow from within the building seemed to draw in the visitors as Master Fu's face suddenly popped out from inside. For a second you could almost see the cogs turning in his head as he recognized his guests.

"Marinette, Tikki!" the old man exclaimed, "How nice to see you!" He smiled brightly, clearly glad to have company and news. "This is wonderful, come in, come in!" Fu reached his arms out, ushering them in. Both Marinette and Tikki smiled.

Marinette stepped inside, Tikki close by her waist. "Thank you," she replied as she bent over to hug the guardian. "It's been a while hasn't it?" Master Fu closed the door behind them. The smell of tea and flowers wafted from rooms nearby and almost instantly Tikki took a deep breath and felt at home.

Fu tsked," it has been long. Last time you were here, it was to inform me about Chat's unfortunate injury if my memory serves." He talked solemnly. "I hope he is doing better… And that this visit will be under better circumstances."

Marinette cleared her throat, "Chat Noir is doing much better. His arm is practically new again and he's stayed out of harm's way for the most part." Master Fu nodded at that. "I am also pleased to say that today's visit was inspired by an idea of mine. No bad news like last time." Marinette's words made Fu smile again, but Tikki winced. This was going to be so much harder with Marinette here.

Master Fu clapped his hands together. "Well that's just grand. It seems like these days, the only time people come over is when something is wrong. It's nice to be reminded of other things." Marinette nodded enthusiastically, showing her agreement. Fu let his sentence end with a contented sigh. "Oh, would either of you like some tea? I've just made a pot." Tikki flew sheepishly up to him.

"I would love some, master." Tikki accepted. The guardian's eyes twinkled.

"I thought you might. While you two are waiting, let me get you somewhere to sit." Fu beckoned Marinette and Tikki to follow him as he turned around.

They walked through his house together, the many plants and herbs hanging from the ceiling and occasionally bumping into Marinette as she walked past. The brick walls seemed somehow old-fashioned and the windows showed beautiful snippets of garden, sun, and sky. Finally, Master Fu turned to a door on their right and placed a hand on the doorknob. Turning it, he said to his guests, "Make yourselves at home." The sitting room had two love seats positioned on opposite sides of a delicate coffee table. The walls were painted a pleasant mustard yellow and the wooden floor was decorated by a long, oval carpet embroidered with small designs. As Tikki flew in, she marveled at the pretty room. It was nice seeing that Master Fu had nice things. Sometimes she worried how his business might be or how much work he got. Fu had been around for a very long time and aged slower than most people, but nonetheless, the man was getting older.

Marinette walked to the center of the room and sat down in one of the chairs. She turned back to Master Fu and smiled. "Thank you." Tikki zipped over to her and settled over her shoulder, levitating in the air. Fu gave a satisfied smile and was just turning towards the door when everyone heard a loud clatter coming from the hall. Fu frowned and opened the door. A small blur of green was barely visible as a platter of teacups and cookies floated through the air and through the door. The china clinked together as Wayzz flew in and placed the tray on the coffee table.

"I heard you wanted some tea?" Wayzz gasped. Master Fu smiled. Marinette giggled. Tikki flew up to her fellow kwami.

"Hi, Wayzz!" Tikki bumped his head with hers, a standard greeting for kwami's. Wayzz bowed his head and beamed.

"Tikki, Marinette… it is great to see you!" The turtle kwami welcomed the visitors. "It's been a while." Wayzz nodded toward the platter. "Help yourselves! I've brought in the tea and enough cookies for all of you to stuff yourselves."

Tikki respectfully declined the cookies, but poured herself a small cup of tea. Marinette, however, went straight for them. When the girl offered them to Tikki again, she waved them away. She may have just had a small reunion with two of her closest friends, but her stomach was still uneasy from her problems. Marinette frowned. "They're your favorite."

"I'm not hungry right now," Tikki said. Marinette shrugged. A cough from the other couch caught their attention.

"So, Marinette, you've come here for a reason, you say," Master Fu reminded her, not hurrying to end their visit, just wondering the reason for it.

Marinette seemed shy all of a sudden as if she hadn't been preaching her plan to Tikki 10 minutes ago. Her words came out jumbled, she spoke so fast. "Yes, I have. Uhm- I was wondering if, you know because you've offered in the past, maybe you could let me give someone new a miraculous? Add someone to the team? I- I know this is pretty sudden, but I've been thinking and I think Chat and I really need it. Hawkmoth is getting stronger."

Wayzz almost fell out of the air. "Wait wait wait… what? Slow down."

Master Fu seemed surprised as well. "Wow… That was a lot to take in…" He looked thoughtfully at his bracelet and paused. "Marinette, are you sure this is what you want? A new hero? If you truly think that that is the way to go, I won't stop you, my offer always stands, but have you really thought this through, Marinette? This is not a decision to be make lightly."

"Yes, I'm sure." Marinette replied, unwavering. "This is all I've been able to think about for weeks, maybe even months. Hawkmoth has consistently growing stronger. I think I first realized after our fight with Howler. He's getting more powerful and each battle we fight is coming closer and closer to becoming our last. Master, we _need_ help. Someone that will turn the tide and tip the scale. Hawkmoth is getting stronger, so must we. I understand that you have no idea if my idea is a good one. Just… Tell me what I should do, what _you_ think I should do. This is your call."

Master Fu leaned forward in his seat. "Child, I'm not going to be your parent. You already have two of those. I'm not here to tell you what to do and force you into things. This is completely _your choice_. You know the streets of Paris, Chat Noir, and Hawkmoth much better than me. If you truly believe in this, if you really think that bringing a new miraculous user into the equation will even the odds, then do it. Take action and take charge. You came here wanting my guidance, but the guidance you really should have been looking for is inside you. _You_ are Ladybug, heroine of Paris. You shouldn't let an old man tell you what to do."

Marinette got quiet and she stared at her hands, wringing them together. "Thank you, Master Fu… I really needed that. You're right of course, I should be able to make my own decisions," Marinette said slowly as if talking to herself. "And I think… I will do it. I need to give out a miraculous. I think it will help us defeat Hawkmoth. I think I'm ready. I think _we're_ ready, I really do."

Master Fu's eyes sparkled. "There's the Ladybug I know. If you have decided, then it is time to bring out the box."


	11. Chapter 10

Marinette's point of view:

Master Fu stood up and walked towards the door. He beckoned, "come with me." Marinette got up and followed him out of the room, Tikki close behind. Once again they were in the halls of Fu's home. _Where will we be going next?_

They followed Fu through the winding corridors until he led them to a door. He presented the room to them and opened it. Marinette walked in, noticing right away the startling contrast from the room they had been in before. The walls were painted a light brown, but the paint was chipping, and the floorboards creaked where she stepped. A sole window on one of the walls let in the necessary light, sunning the few desolate houseplants stashed in the corners. While the sitting room had been colorful and lavish, this one was plainer and more practical. Not that it mattered much to Marinette. A room was a room.

Master Fu picked up a round box from a shelf and brought it to Tikki and Marinette. At first, it looked like an old-school record player, but when Marinette saw the strange markings covering it and the buttons on the side, she presumed that its purpose was a bit less mundane. Sure enough, Master Fu twisted his fingers around the box, placing his fingers over the buttons and pressing. The box hissed. Slowly, it began to open, the record-player top tipping back and the gap in the middle growing wider and wider. Like a flawlessly running clock, the contraption opened smoothly and cleanly, revealing underneath…. _Another box?_ Marinette looked up at Fu then back down at it. The octagon sides had golden buttons (Marinette decided that Master Fu _really_ liked boxes and buttons) and a labyrinth of red lines covered the top, forming some type of symbol. Whatever it stood for, Marinette didn't know. But for some reason, the pattern looked _so_ familiar. Like deja-vu, with a hint of nostalgia. _What is it?_

Answering Marinette's unspoken question, Fu said, "You will recognize this box as the one that you first received your miraculous in. The markings on the top are practically identical, save for some chipping and fading. And the box you got is smaller, but still, the two are almost nearly matches." Marinette's eyebrows lifted up in recognition and surprise. Now that she knew to look, she could see that he was right. She was staring at a large version of her miraculous box. It had been _years_ since she got that thing. Around two and a half years if she was remembering correctly. _How much has my life changed since I got that box_ …? _How much will it change someone else's…_ Master Fu lifted the last lid.

A circle of colored blocking outlined the middle, five sections. Orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. In the center of the box, a yin and yang symbol clashed. Marinette looked down in wonder. In each colored portion, a small brand labeled its object. In the black yin, a red spot stood out, the darker dots on it contrasting nicely. Marinette reached up to her ears. Her miraculous was a match. In the light grey yang, however, a pure white paw print lay inside of a small circle. It had to stand for Chat's miraculous, Marinette knew. She looked past the familiar symbols to the edge, where most colors and symbols meant nothing to her. First: the orange. Marinette couldn't see the brand, for an object was on top of it. A necklace. An orange tail, from the look of it. Marinette looked up at Master Fu.

"What is this?" She asked, pointing at the necklace. Fu glanced down to where her finger gestured, then back up to Marinette.

"I would've thought you would know." At her blank stare, he added, "Why, it's a miraculous! The fox!" Marinette looked up at Fu in awe. _A fox miraculous… imagine that_. Of course she had known that other miraculous existed, otherwise she wouldn't even be here, but it was weird to hear the word 'miraculous' and not having it refer to her own, or Chat's.

"The fox miraculous is one of trickery, more so than the others. Styled after a fox, the fox miraculous user would be sly and smooth, and with the power, mirage, they can create whatever illusion they desire. Powerful against people who don't know it is fake, but can be rendered useless once your opponent is aware of reality, and therefore, is aware of what is not." Marinette's head was reeling. _Imagine all the possibilities_. The user of the fox miraculous would be a powerful one…

Moving on, Marinette gestured at the yellow. Like the first, an object, a _miraculous_ , filled the space. Instead of a necklace though, there sat a… Hair Comb? "Tell me about this one."

Master Fu smiled. "Ah. The bee miraculous." Once identified, Marinette could easily see the insect poised on the comb, as beautiful to look at at the creature was dangerous. "Like the fox, the bee miraculous has a bit of trick to it, though not at obvious as with the first. The power of the bee miraculous is called venom and can paralyze any person. Nasty thing to deal with. Gets annoying." Fu smirked at Marinette whose eyes were no doubt as big as saucers. He pointed at the next miraculous, or at least, its brand. It was a circle with dark green lines through the middle to look like… an orange… a _wheel?_

"The turtle," Master Fu clarified. "Its emblem is its shell, a symbol that connects nicely to the power the miraculous gives. It is called Shell-ter, which is… I suppose clever as it is a protective miraculous. The shield of the group, the reliable one, much like the turtle in nature." Marinette recognized the brand and also something else…

"That's your miraculous isn't it?" Marinette asked him.

"... Why, yes. It is." He reached out his arm towards Marinette. A greenish bracelet was tied to his wrist. A charm matching the brand in the box was the main centerpiece. "Wayzz is the turtle kwami. He has been with me for quite a long time. I haven't transformed in what seems like forever, but he gives me companionship and counsel. What more could I need?" Master Fu smiled slightly. He cleared his throat and moved on.

"This next spot is reserved for the peacock miraculous. I know little about it because for a long time, it hasn't been in my possession. Even when it used to be, I had never used it or activated it. Much of it is very much a mystery… Right now-" he paused, "the miraculous, the peacock brooch, is in Hawkmoth's possession."

Had she heard that right? Marinette's eyes shot up from the box to Master Fu's face. " _What_. Hawkmoth has another miraculous?!"

"Yes… Years ago, there was another holder, a woman, who harnessed the peacock's powers. She is gone now, nobody knows whether she is even alive anymore. Only Hawkmoth would know, as he and the woman had worked together. Now, Hawkmoth holds both the butterfly and peacock miraculous. Which brings us to the next color." Master Fu traced his finger along the box and into the purple section. "The butterfly miraculous. You will recognize this as Hawkmoth's miraculous, his symbol."

The brand in the purple was one Marinette knew instantly because of how often she saw it. In the eyes of civilians and in her battles with akumas. It was the symbol of chaos in Paris, the symbol of evil. When you saw Hawkmoth's symbol, it never meant something good, only bad. It was strange to see it in a box full of valiant powers and kwamis. Strange to see next her own symbol…

Master Fu continued, "Other than your and Chat's miraculous, and mine of course, this is the one I know the most about. Wish I didn't because of the circumstances, but alas, knowledge is usually always a good thing. Hawkmoth turned something created to do good and turned it into something sinister. I'm sure you know his powers. The user of the butterfly miraculous can grant powers in the form of an akuma. The akuma will do your bidding and become your devoted follower. Especially because of the powers of this specific miraculous, it is bad that it is being used for evil." Master Fu looked up at Marinette.

"I've only given you a summary of these great powers. Today we've only scratched the tip of the iceberg. Even my complete knowledge doesn't cover it completely. Even so… Now it's time for you to choose a miraculous. For you to make sure that what happened with Hawkmoth doesn't happen again. You and Chat need another ally, you wouldn't make it through another enemy. So, Marinette, you need to think, hard. Pick a person you can trust and a miraculous that would suit them. I know that this will be difficult and this is happening so suddenly, but you were the one to come today, asking for a miraculous. I would hope before coming, you at least had _some_ idea for a holder. Now it's time to finalize that decision, set it in stone."

"Hmm."

* * *

Marinette clutched the miraculous box in her fist. The edges were going to leave marks on her palm, but she didn't care. Marinette had what she came for. She was stood by the front door waiting for Tikki, who had wanted to talk to Master Fu alone. Marinette didn't want to intrude, but she still wanted to know what they were talking about. Oh well… she couldn't just _intrude_ because well, Marinette couldn't count herself an upstanding citizen and heroine of Paris if she didn't have integrity.

Anyways, it couldn't be as important as what Marinette had just accomplished. After internally debating with herself, she had decided which miraculous to put into play and its perfect wielder. _I'm going to be giving out a miraculous_. Just the thought, the _feel_ , that she had the power to do so… _Big things ahead…_

Outside, people were walking around, normal people living their normal lives. In some ways Marinette was like them. In some ways, she wasn't. All that she knew was that Paris was a part of her and always would be. Being a superhero had given her a chance that few have ever had. A chance to connect with her people, to give back. To go from being a girl in Paris to being a girl _of_ Paris. Because in many ways, after all she's done for it and vice versa, Paris, France would always hold a place in her heart. Being Paris's hero would always be such an important part of her. She knew that the same was also true for Chat, to some extent.

Marinette hoped the same of the person that she had chosen for the miraculous. Yes, the person was devoted and loyal, this Marinette was sure of, but to what? Would they do all that they could for this city, no matter the cost? Would they put the city's needs before their own? Would they be prepared to sacrifice _everything_ for the well-being of Paris? Their family? Their friends?… their partner?

Because Ladybug had been. Everything she did was for the sake of her city. She tried to never jeopardize her home and when she failed to do so, she _learned from her mistakes_ and _tried again_. Sure, it had taken her a while, but now, Ladybug was the most dedicated heroine a city could ask for. Marinette had given up _so much_ for Paris. She had given up the chance of ever being a normal teenager, had given up opportunities to grow closer to the one she loved, had given up treating people how she wanted, even her own partner, to maintain professionalism and order, to maintain the certainty that they would never let Paris down. Marinette hadn't wanted that night to play out as it had. She didn't want to hurt his feelings like that. She never wanted to sacrifice their relationship, but she _had to_. Not only because she didn't love him, but because _she had to put Paris first_ and _anything_ else she could've said might've doomed them all. She had to try to keep the civilians safe because she was one of the _only_ ones that could. Marinette had to put Paris first because otherwise Hawkmoth would have run it to the ground. The needs of a whole city outweighed her own.

Marinette hoped the new hero would realize that too. As Master Fu had described the miraculous, naming them and the powers they promised, she had realized how meaningful this really was. Two years ago, she had been given a miraculous and it changed her life forever. Now, Marinette was going to do the same to a new person, someone she trusted, but _still_. If Marinette chose wrong, the miraculous could be harmed or taken into use by a tyrant like Hawkmoth. If this new hero didn't protect Paris like Chat and Ladybug did, if they became an _enemy_ of the duo… It would be _Ladybug's_ fault. It would've been Marinette's fault for choosing to give out a new miraculous in the first place, her fault for choosing the wrong person, _her fault_ for endangering Paris. Even her reasoning behind the idea, was selfish, yes. Marinette knew that. She knew that it wasn't very heroic to risk the safety of thousands of people for a personal matter. And she admitted to herself now, that was exactly what this was. A personal matter, insignificant and small compared to the real hardships others faced _daily_.

She can't change that, can't take the decision back because _here Marinette was_ standing at her guardian's front door holding a miraculous box, the very manifestation of her selfish and petty thoughts, the very indication that she wasn't that heroic. A reminder that Marinette was weak enough to fall victim to her own thoughts. _How ironic that even this takes the form of something magical, of something influential when I am anything but. When all I am doing is doing my duty_.

Marinette heard voices getting louder behind her in the house. Coming closer, growing cheerier. Tikki and Fu had finished their conversation. She sighed.

 _Times up. I need to do what I came to do_.

Marinette walked away from Master Fu's house with a purpose, a mission. Because no matter what, Ladybug did her job, and she'd be damned if she didn't do it well.

* * *

Ladybug approached the building, box tight in her hand, even after all these hours (damn these pocketless suits). The sun had set and the night was young, but she was feeling most anything but carefree and wild. In fact, a more grim look had settled across her face.

 _Best to get this done soon, so they can be prepared for tomorrow_. Marinette knew that it was rather quick to force this new hero into a patrol so soon, but even though she wasn't proud of her want to distract both herself and Chat, she wouldn't just let this timing go to waste. Ladybug sighed and stepped forward.

It wasn't difficult to scale the apartment building, especially considering that Ladybug practically had super strength and agility, but it was hard finding the right window. As a civilian, Marinette had come here often enough, but she had always used the stairs on the inside, and it's not like Ladybug could do the same. But, finally, she found the right place and peeked inside.

They sat at a desk at the opposite side of the room at a computer, back facing Ladybug. The light was on, but barely, probably to avoid confrontation with their family. Not something Ladybug particularly understood, but something she could respect. The bed in the corner was a twin bed and messily made and on the walls, posters of musicians and actors, and a few even of Ladybug and Chat ( _How'd they manage to get_ those?).

The person hadn't yet turned to face the window and see Ladybug so she lined herself up nicely and gently rapped on the window, not wanting to alert anyone but them. Tap tap.

At first, they didn't react, only tilting their head to the side for a few seconds like they'd noticed something, but hadn't yet realized what it was. Ladybug tapped harder and _yes. Finally._ They slowly spun around in their chair, towards the window and when their eyes caught hold of Ladybug's, they froze. Then widened. All at once, they jumped up, which startled Ladybug too, and rushed at the window. Muffled curses could be heard as they fumbled with the lock. Eventually the window loosened and was flung upwards to reveal a very ruffled looking teenager. Their voice was kind of squeaky as they said, "come in." Of course, Ladybug obliged, smiling. Oh, this was hilarious, the poor person was star-struck. Ladybug cleared her throat.

"I- I'm sorry to have intruded into your home like this, especially so late at night. I hope you don't mind-"

"Oh, oh, oh, oh _no_ , oh no it's fine really, I wasn't really doing anything except writing stupid stuff anyways and it's not like it's _that_ late I mean…" They interrupted and their face flushed with embarrassment. Ladybug giggled. She looked over their shoulder at the computer screen. _Was that… it_ was _. Ladybug and Chat Noir fanfiction…_ Now they were both flushed.

"Well, I suppose that's good… That I haven't interrupted anything I mean. Actually I'm here on official superhero business." Marinette struggled for words as they stared at her, disbelieving. "Uh-um, I- I'm sure you know of what me and Chat Noir do…" _Duh, look at their walls_. "And, um, this is going to sound really rushed and sudden. But… I was wondering…" Their eyes maintained perfect eye contact. _Oh God, Oh shit, I- I don' know what to do right now, ummm._ Ladybug froze. Then, more to get it over with than anything, reached out with the miraculous box and blurted out,

"Alya Cesaire, I would like to present you with the fox miraculous."


	12. Chapter 11

Chat Noir's perspective:

Chat knew he wasn't on time… again. He hoped that Ladybug hadn't noticed. Though, it was impressive that he even was going to show up, knowing that he almost couldn't leave his house in the first place. He had spent nearly half an hour sitting by his window, trying to work up the courage to move. To face his fears. Chat had actually planned to be super early… but this would have to do.

As he approached their meeting spot, Chat took a second to relax. He didn't think he was overly worked up, but it was best to stay safe. He didn't want to scare Ladybug off or worry her about what happened last patrol. He decided that he would act as naturally as possible. For now, he would play along with Ladybug's seeming wish to stay apart and act professional. _It won't be for that long,_ Chat told himself. _Not if I can do my job well_.

Chat reached the street, staying out of sight. Now, he could see the rooftop. Chat couldn't see Ladybug yet, but she was probably on the other side. Maybe, Chat could sneak up on her… He didn't want to scare her about last patrol, but this was fair game. He grinned widely and leapt, quickly and quietly (he was good at that) across the roofs remaining between him and his lady. He had decided that she was still hers. Just because she wasn't aware didn't mean that it wasn't true.

Anyways...

He snuck, climbing along of the windowsills of their building, just under the gutter, waiting for the perfect time to jump up. He had gotten her good last time, he could tell (though she tried to hide it). Hopefully he could do the same now. Chat's leather feet were surprisingly good at sticking to things and he hugged the brick wall with ease. Chat smirked to himself as he crept closer to Ladybug. He could hear her shuffling around and as Chat crawled closer, he heard… was that talking?

" -nd make sure to just act calm, okay?" Chat heard Ladybug's voice, which was strange. She rarely talked to herself, but who know, she was probably really riled up. In her place, Chat would've been nervous too. He didn't think anything of it until he heard... _another voice?_ Chat lost interest on sneaking up on Ladybug.

" Sure thing, LB. I can be calm… I thi- I _can_ ," the newcomer replied. Ladybug giggled. Chat Noir bristled. _Who-? Who could this person be..? Why are they talking to Ladybug? What are they talking about…?_

Distracted, Chat missed a foothold in the wall and gasped. His instincts made him reach out for the nearest edge, which happened to be the gutter. The metal wasn't flimsy, but Chat wasn't going to risk a fall by breaking it. As quickly as he could, he clung back onto the wall, praying that he hadn't made much noise. But when he looked up…

Ladybug's eyes bore into his, startled at his sudden appearance, and hanging off the side of the building no less. Chat didn't know what to say. He was caught like a deer in headlights, eavesdropping onto a conversation he knew naught about. Safe to say that he was a little embarrassed. Chat scrambled over the side of the roof, ready to explain. Like, seriously, he was ready to launch into a full explanation as to why he had been hanging off the wall. But instantly, his eyes locked onto someone else's.

Considering his previous shock, you wouldn't have thought that Chat would forget the other voice so quickly (what could he say, Ladybug had that effect on him).

The new girl (for that was what she was) was almost entirely in orange, even her hair had a reddish tint. A few places had white, like her stomach, the end of her ponytail, and her _ears_. She had _ears_. Chat quickly glanced behind her. _She had a tail_. Who was this girl?

Honestly, if Chat had recognized the costume, he would've guessed a cosplayer, but her outfit was completely new to him. Her eyes looked brownish, but they were _huge_. And staring at him...

It seemed that both girls were a bit rattled by Chat's entrance. Ladybug was just standing still, seeming not to know what to say. The new girl, despite having told Ladybug mere moments before that she would be calm, seemed to be having some sort of… panic attack? No, that wasn't the right word, Chat had seen a panic attack. This was different. It had more hand movements and squealing. Chat couldn't take his eyes off her. Everything about her threw him off. Her face, her tail (Chat couldn't get over the tail despite having one himself), her very presence.

Somehow, it was him who broke the stunned silence first. "Um, Ladybug…?" Chat had so many questions, he didn't know which to ask. He especially didn't know which he could even _ask_ in front of this newcomer. Thankfully, Ladybug snapped out of her surprise and stopped him before he could say anything else.

" _Chat_. What were you _doing_ , fooling around like that. What were you trying to even do down there? I guess it doesn't matter _now_ once you've scared us half out of our minds! I thought some civilian had discovered our spot and was trying to climb up to us!" Ladybug huffed, exasperated. Chat guess she made sense, though, like always, her scolding made his ears droop. She went on. "Also, it is _very_ rude to eavesdrop on other people's conversations! I don't want to embarrass us in front of our company, but Chat you really make it difficult sometimes." Ladybug shook her head at him. Their 'company' was watching the two with wide eyes. Eyes that observed and learned, Chat could recognize. He distrusted her almost at once. Ladybug followed his gaze to the orange kangaroo-looking girl and her harsh voice and authoritative demeanor just melted away (unfair).

"I would like to apologize for him. Chat has _horrible_ manners. I only wish they put _that_ in the news!"

The new girl laughed. "But then they would also have to talk about how _bossy_ you are!"

Chat narrowed his eyes at her, but Ladybug's eyes and mouth widened in mock offense before bursting into giggles.

Chat just stared.

Was she… was Ladybug just going to ignore that obvious insult…?

He… he had never seen his Lady act so comfortable with anyone else before. To everyone else, to the civilians, Ladybug was kind and polite, but _formal_. Only when she was alone with him did he ever see her loosen up… but this girl… You would've thought they were best friends or something.

He guessed it was because Chat and Ladybug had never been with someone familiar alone, but even so, what made this girl so special…? Who _was_ she? Because somehow, she and Ladybug knew each other, but Chat didn't have a clue how.

Ladybug seemed to spot his confused expression in the middle of her and the girl's teasing.

"Oh, Chat, I just realized I haven't introduced you to Rena! Um- this is Rena!"

Rena Rouge giggled at Ladybug and whispered, "You already said that."

She giggled back, "Oops, I guess I did. And, Rena, I'm sure you know who Chat Noir is! My partner in crime! Actuallynothatsliterallytheoppositeofwhatweare… Chat is my partner in… law? I don't know, but you get it don't you, haha." Ladybug seemed light and cheerful. Chat… Chat didn't know what to think. She turned towards him. "Sorry if this seems so sudden. I met with Rena only last night, but we spent _hours_ getting to know each other. I guess I should let you two talk for a second." Ladybug smiled at him.

He watched in wonder as Rena nodded at Ladybug, then turned towards him. They had spent _hours_ last night talking to each other? Chat had never even gotten an explanation as to why she was there! He was about to ask, courtesies be damned, but she answered it for him.

"Hi. Like Ladybug said, I'm Rena. Rena Rouge, actually. And… um… I guess I'm your new superhero partner!"

...

 _Hold up._

 _What?_

 _Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait, what?_

 _Go back._

 _What do you mean-?_

Chat's eyes widened and his heartbeat was loud in his ears. _Did she just say what I thought-?_ His gaze instantly flicked towards Ladybug. _No… that_ can't _be right…_ new partner _?_ But _Ladybug_ was his partner _._ _What is this 'Rena' trying to say?_

Ladybug must have noticed his sudden panic because she rushed towards him. "Uh, yeah. Chat… Rena is going to be _our_ new partner! I know this is very abrupt, but I hope that you understand. She's loyal and passionate, and I think she could really add something to the team!" Chat choked. Ladybug frowned at him. _Add her to the team?_

Chat just couldn't make his mouth move, couldn't form any words. This was probably good because Chat wasn't thinking particularly pleasant thoughts, but Ladybug really didn't seem to care as she turned back towards Rena.

"Like I said to you before, today we're just going to be running a standard patrol that Chat and I do often. I hoped that bringing you along today wouldn't scare you off. I know when I was first given a miraculous, for the first few weeks, _months_ even, I was scrambling. This was sprung upon you so fast and I'm sorry for that, but hopefully today we can help ease you into your new reality," Ladybug rambled on again to Rena, who was watching her with complete focus. Chat didn't really get how after an entire night of talking, Ladybug still found new things to talk to her about, but it's not like he was going to say anything. He still couldn't believe. Chat had just come expecting a normal patrol, albeit a bit awkward at first because of their last patrol, but once he told her that she made sense and that he would be okay just forgetting about the kiss, everything would've been normal.

This was close to the exact opposite of what he was expecting. In mere minutes, his whole being had been thrown off. Chat was still thinking, _wait, what just happened_?

"During patrol, me and Chat sometimes split up to cover more ground, but because this is your first time, I won't make you do this alone. Hopefully I can explain more on the way," Ladybug smiled at Rena then she turned to Chat Noir. "Let's do our regular routes, but I'll just take Rena on mine, okay."

Chat just stared back. "Okay."

And just like that, at least with Chat's warped sense of time, they were gone. He looked around and couldn't see the orange of Rena Rouge's suit or the black and red of Ladybug's. He was now standing on a different building, but had no idea how he got there. How long had he been patrolling?

 _Chat, focus_. His mind was running in circles as it tried to dissect what had just happened. After over two years of fighting akumas and spending time together, Ladybug had just gone and _recruited another person?_ Chat hadn't even been aware she could _do_ that. He- he didn't understand. He plopped down onto the concrete of the flat roof he was on and sunk his head into his hands.

What had just happened?

He had come to patrol and… and-

Ladybug was _there_ , but there was this _girl_.

Who was…

Joining their team?

Chat was still having trouble processing her _presence_ , it was a wonder he hadn't been overwhelmed on that rooftop, he was getting overwhelmed _here_. Chat just sat there asking the same question again and again.

What had just happened?

It's like a loop was playing over and over again, like his brain was trying to comprehend somethings, but just didn't know how.

How had the only stable part of his and Ladybug's relationship for over _two years_ , just _crumbled?_

Chat shook his head wildly and stood up. He wouldn't answer any of his questions by sitting and thinking all afternoon. He was supposed to be patrolling for god's sakes. He was supposed to be focused and dedicated and all the things a superhero was supposed to be. It was quite literally the _only_ job Chat had, and it _was_ important to him. Paris _was_ his home.

Also patrolling seemed the only thing he knew how to do anymore.

And so he set off again, more alert this time.

But just because he was doing his job, didn't mean he wouldn't try to get something out of it. Doesn't mean that he wouldn't do his original plan. Rena Rouge may have complicated things a little bit, leaving him no time to talk with Ladybug alone, but overall, she was harmless. Ladybug could experiment with new companions and different techniques however she pleased. To him, their relationship was the most important, not where he stood as part of their little team. Even before Rena, Chat had fallen low in the pecking-order (which was impressive considering there was only one other person). Who knew, maybe Chat's experience would gain him a more authoritative role this time and he would like it.

What he was trying to say was, Rena wasn't important. In the end, as long as he and Ladybug ended up together, Chat would be happy.

His mind was blank for the rest of the patrol.

* * *

The sun was setting in Paris, which was always a welcome sign for Chat Noir. At night, his night-vision activated and his suit blended into the shadows. Chat was made for the night, which was lucky considering all his problems with falling asleep.

Chat breathed in deep waiting for the final touch of natural light to fade away. He stood on his and Ladybug's roof. He had finished patrolling early like he'd planned. It wasn't hard, Chat was someone who liked to do things quickly. It didn't mean he didn't do them well, it was just that he preferred to not waste time on pointless things. Whenever he and Ladybug patrolled together, he stayed out later, always following her pace, and the days that he finished early by himself, he would wander around watching for anyone that would need help. Not tonight however.

Chat walked over to the makeshift table (an upside-down cardboard box) and grabbed a notebook that he and Ladybug sometimes used to think of plans or play tic-tac-toe in. Tearing out a sheet, he clicked the pen and began writing. Having planned nearly his entire note out earlier, the words just flowed now, explaining to Ladybug why she wouldn't be seeing him for the rest of the night.

Chat looked around. It looked like the sun had finally gone down. Paris got significantly darker and though he could see fine, Chat knew that normal citizens could not. Furthermore, Ladybug couldn't.

Chat signed his note messily and folded it in half, leaving it on a chair where she was sure to find it. Satisfied, he vaulted away with his staff and onto the next roof. However, unlike the letter he had just written to Ladybug, he was not heading home to get a good night of sleep. No, Chat had things to do, people to trail.

The sun had just set, but his day was far from over.


	13. Chapter 12

Ladybug's perspective:

Ladybug was really enjoying herself. The patrol was going great. They had stopped to stop one mugging and Rena had been thrilled. And the two had gotten to talk so much more about the job, about living a double-life, e.t.c…

The sun had gone down around half an hour ago. Ladybug had been sure to make note of it, her habit of looking out for Chat was practically routine now. The sun would go down and Chat would wake up. But seeing that Ladybug was with Rena Rouge right now, not her usual Chat Noir, that wouldn't really be much help. The only thing that Ladybug could do was hope he went home.

 _I mean_ , Ladybug thought, _the day is winding down. Shouldn't I just go_ check _to see what's going on with him?_ Ladybug turned towards her friend.

"Hey, you know it's getting pretty late. How about we head in and see what's up at the meeting spot?"

Rena nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good."

So the girls stopped where they were and Ladybug lead the way back to the roof. They were there quickly because of their superpowers, and Ladybug was used to that, but Rena was still giddy over everything. She breathed hard and ran a hand through her hair.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that," Rena sighed.

"Used to what?" Ladybug asked.

"Powers, secret identities, _this_."

"This?"

"Your life! How do you and Chat do it? I've only been here a day and I'm overwhelmed. You and Chat have been doing this for _years_."

Ladybug laughed. "You'll get the hang of it eventually. Like I did, and Chat. We didn't start off knowing how to do everything. We learned it as we went along. You have it better than we did. You have teachers. So trust me, you'll be fine."

Rena still looked unconvinced

"Like you said, you've only been here a day. Practice really does make perfect, Rena. And I'm sure you'll be perfect."

"Thank you… I needed that." Rena smiled.

"Sure thing." Ladybug smiled at her while she looked around the roof. Everything seemed the same. The only thing that Ladybug was worried about, though, was Chat.

She half-mumbled to herself, "I hope he'll get here soon." Her partner apparently wasn't back yet. Ladybug sighed.

"If the 'he' you are referring to is Chat, though I don't know who else it would be, I don't think you should worry." Rena called from behind her. Apparently Ladybug hadn't been that quiet. And apparently she hadn't noticed something either. She spun around to face Rena, confused. The heroine was holding a piece of paper out to Ladybug to see. There was writing on it. Ladybug reached out for it and brought it close to her face, but the growing darkness made it hard for her to read. She held it back out to Rena Rouge, shaking her head.

"Can't read it. Too dark. You must have enhanced vision at night like Chat does to be able to read it," Ladybug mused. Rena Rouge's eyes widened as she took back the letter. She grinned.

"That's so cool…" she said, unfolding the paper to read again. Rena coughed to clear her throat and began to read aloud for Ladybug. "To Ladybug, I'm sorry that I can't meet with you again tonight. I finished my patrol early and decided to go home and get some sleep, like you always seem to want me to do. I know today is a pretty awful day to be taking that advice though, since it is Rena's first day and all, but I really needed it. Hopefully you won't need me, though I doubt you will. Also, I wanted to tell you that what you said the other night was completely right. I agree with you that we need to put our productivity first and I believe that we _will_ be putting Paris first. So just know that if you would allow, I would gladly pretend it never happened. Oh, and tell Rena Rouge good luck for me and hopefully I'll see you next at our next patrol. Again, my apologies. From Chat." Rena Rouge looked up at Ladybug. "That explains his absence, I guess, but… what was he talking about." She stared at her. "What happened the other night?"

Ladybug stared at the ground, her eyes frozen in place, but her mind sure wasn't. _He… agreed?_ "Oh, ah... nothing!" Ladybug exhaled, thinking. "Just something we needed to work out among us, a personal matter."

Rena tilted her head. "If you say so, it's not my place to pry, having _just_ joined the team and all." She smiled.

"I am happy that he went home, however. That hero you idolize is up at all hours of the night and needs to get some sleep once in a while. He never really seemed all that tired, but that lack of sleep can't be good for _anyone_ ," Ladybug winked at Rena. "Glad he's finally realized it too. Anyways, we should get going too. Like I said, it's getting late. We should _all_ be going to bed." Ladybug took the note from Rena.

They headed towards Rena Rouge's place so Ladybug could say goodnight. Seeing her home was the least Ladybug could do for her friend and was probably for the best, considering that she didn't know how Parisians would act to a random girl that they didn't recognize flipping around the streets.

And so together they went until they arrived. They scaled the building quickly and Rena unlocked her window. The two girls slipped inside, trying not to make a sound and alert any of her family that she had been gone. Ladybug shut the window and turned towards Rena Rouge. "You can detransform now."

Rena nodded at her, and, with a flash of orange light, did so. Her ears and tails disappeared and so did the stretchy costume. Alya Cesaire was left standing in her bedroom. Her fox tail necklace hung round her neck and a small pulse seemed to dispense a rather disheveled kwami. They stretched and yawned while Alya reached for her glasses on her desk.

"Oh, hi Trixx!" Alya giggled. "I had almost forgotten about you!"

The kwami's fur puffed up angrily. "Almost forgot about me? I am the whole reason you have powers. What do I need to do to gain respect around here, sleep for another thousand years?" Trixx's orange fuzz and long ears gave him a exaggerated look as he flew around angrily.

Ladybug sighed. When Fu had given her the miraculous, he had warned her about Trixx, or more specifically, what a hothead he was. She tried to stop Alya and Trixx's bickering. At a pause, Ladybug seized her chance.

"I just wanted to say, thank you for today. You've helped more than you could know. It was nice to have someone new on patrol. Most days it's just me and Chat?"

Alya looked at her, surprised. "O- Of course, Ladybug! It was nothing. Like _genuinely_ nothing. I got to become a _superhero_ today. Who else can say that?" Alya grinned. Ladybug tensed.

"I trust you know that you _can't_ say that, though… Right?" Ladybug asked.

"Oh yes of _course_. I'm sorry that was bad wording." Alya said. "Of course I know I can't tell anybody. Don't worry about me Ladybug!" Alya spoke refreshing words, but Ladybug still couldn't get over the feeling that she had to say _something_. Warn her of what she would have to do. Tell her that being a superhero meant much more than just keeping a secret.

"I hope today wasn't that weird for you. I feel like I've said this a hundred times today already, but this was super out of the blue just dragging you into all of this so suddenly. I wish I could've eased you into it, but we really need the help. I just want to make sure that this is what _you_ want too. I never really asked you if you wanted to join the team, just showed up. I apologize, but at least now, I'm giving you the choice. Rena Rouge, is it your wish to continue to be a protector of Paris, and an enemy to evil and Hawkmoth? Would you want to fight akumas and devote and sacrifice parts of your life for your duties? Because that _is_ what is required of the job." Ladybug looked warily at Alya who looked even more taken off guard than she had when Ladybug had first showed up at her window. Trixx, seemingly tuckered out, was quiet too.

" _Yes_ , I want to protect Paris," Alya said indignantly. She adjusted her glasses on her face. "I know what it'll take, Ladybug. You've been preaching to me all day! I know the sacrifices I'll have to make, I know what I'll need to do! I've made up my mind so don't you worry anymore. I will be here whenever you need me. I am prepared to protect my city," Alya said.

"... Well then," Ladybug smiled thinly. "I guess you are…" Alya grinned at her. God, she hoped Alya was right.

Ladybug said her goodnight quickly then got outside to take a breath. In and out. Her breathing felt more like panting for some reason. She slid her back against the apartment building and sat down. In then out. Ladybug leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes for a second.

She heard a noise behind her and spun around. But it was only a bush being blown around by a small wind. Ladybug sighed and shook her head. _Snap out of it._ She knew that she was only wound up because of Alya. This was all just so… _new_. A new partner, friend, a whole new miraculous. It was going to take some getting used to. She swung her yoyo up into the air and followed it into the sky.

The night was beautiful. The lights and the people. Ladybug loved it and went slowly towards her home. Why waste such a beautiful night? Everything was fine and her problems were solved. What more could she want? Alya was doing well. She had waved away Ladybug's concerns and apologies like it was nothing. Ladybug was sure now more than every that she would make a great superhero, with that drive and sincerity. And Chat... Oh, Chat had finally agreed with her! Ladybug was so happy she felt like flying. She had been so worried about him and what happened between them, but now, Chat wrote to her in the note that he understood why they couldn't be together and _agreed_! Ladybug felt a wave of peace and euphoria wash through her as she paused for one second on a rooftop. She breathed in a deep breath of air and smiled into the night. The only thing she could hear was the wind and the muffled talk of the civilians below. Most everything was quiet.

Until Ladybug heard a small shuffle from behind her. A small scrape against the concrete that didn't sound like it could have been the wind. Even Ladybug's enhanced hearing didn't allow her to hear the noise well. She spun around to find… air. _Well_ that _was anticlimactic_. She shrugged it off. Most like it was an adventurous cat or something, or maybe it was just her imagination. No matter, it was nothing. She jumped to another roof.

 _See_ , thought Ladybug. _There's nothing wrong_.

She was close to home now. The houses were getting more familiar and Ladybug could recognize some people on the ground. She ran across a tile roof, cushioning her foot-falls but landing on the balls of her feet. She ran to the edge and stood facing the world. But again… she heard something. A slight pattering behind her.

... _footsteps?_ Ladybug froze where she stood, listening, but they stopped soon after. She turned, ready to face whatever had come for her, but like before, there was nothing. Only Ladybug's shadow because of the street lamps in the road.

Suspicion followed Ladybug all the way back to her street. She couldn't shake the feeling. The feeling that something was watching her. That something was following her. It seemed that every lamp post had eyes and every shop had ears. Normally, Ladybug never acted on these feelings, considering the small possibility that someone could see her and keep up with her through the streets of Paris. But tonight… Ladybug was feeling different. She didn't know how or why, but somehow something was watching her. So when Ladybug reached her street, she swung straight past and instead decided to head towards the Louvre instead.

Ladybug was careful to not look over her shoulder. She would trick her pursuer better if they didn't know she knew they were following her. She began to speed up and the pounding of her heartbeat was almost enough to cancel out her footsteps as she raced through the buildings of France. She was back to not being able to hear her pursuer, but that was fine. She knew they were there. Ladybug saw the Seine River from afar (it was lit up like a Christmas tree) and knew she was approaching the louvre, which lay on its bank. She tried to move even quicker.

When Ladybug first saw the museum, she beelined right for it, trying to remain hidden as well as outrun her follower. She knew that she probably alerted them to her knowledge of their pursuit and that they hadn't tried to attack her so far, but Ladybug just couldn't make herself act naturally. She sprinted inside and headed for the hallways of the museum. The colors of the paintings and the structure of the winding walls were enough to make anyone dizzy. Ladybug shot right through, hoping whoever was behind her would get lost. She reached the other side and looped back around, out of breath. She couldn't see anything now, but who knows if anyone was watching. Ladybug's eyes moved from person to person suspiciously.

Ladybug ran into the less occupied section of the museum, moving past people and looking for a way out. Somehow, her heartbeat wasn't so loud anymore. She couldn't hear footsteps anymore though. Still she kept going until she saw a small maintenance closet. Ladybug checked to make sure no one was watching and snuck inside. Inside, She could see a window at the top of the room. It was slender, but she knew she could probably squeeze through. Ladybug locked the door then climbed up, pushing her feet against the opposite wall. She moved up, showing the window open when she reached it. She had been right, she could fit.

Ladybug pushed herself through the small window, sliding out and landing on the opposite side of the entrance to the museum. She smiled and wiped herself off. Carefully, so as to not let her shadow know she had gone another way, Ladybug snuck away, running for the nearest building and hiding behind anything along the way. She made it finally to an alleyway a few blocks from where she'd left. Panting, she sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

Whoever that was, they were quick. If Ladybug hadn't been transformed there would have been absolutely _no way_ that she would've gotten away. They had been at her heels for a long time, keeping up with her superpowers. They blended in so well that she wouldn't have been able to even _notice_ them without her superpowers, Ladybug didn't even _want_ to think about this however. She had gotten away and she was tired. And, why does it matter _how_ they followed her when she should be asking _why_ or _who_. She was tempted for a minute to report an akuma because who else would've done that. Only villains under Hawkmoth's guise would have chased her down and been able to keep up. In the end though, Ladybug didn't. This hadn't seemed like an akuma attack. Usually akumas were much more obvious and showy and her pursuer hadn't even tried to attack her, just follow.

That did concern Ladybug a bit, however because if they hadn't been trying to hurt her, there was only other thing they could get from following her. Her identity. What else could they have gained from following her. Ladybug squinted her eyes suspiciously into the dark. Her mind was a little hectic, but one thing was clear. She would have to be careful and wary of anyone while she was Ladybug. Any Parisian or tourist or, god forbid, teammate that seemed suspicious would have to be looked out for. Chat had been asleep so that counted him out, thank god. Horrible as the thought was, it was looking very likely to Ladybug that her follower had been none other than Rena Rouge. Who else could've kept up at such a high speed chase or known where she was. Even though Ladybug could trust her as a civilian, she had to keep an open mind as a superhero, much as it broke her heart to be wary of her friend. She shook her head. Best not to get ahead of herself.

She… She was just being dramatic. Whoever it was hadn't tried to hurt her or trap her. Panic had turned Ladybug into a instinct-driven half-wit. _God_ , Ladybug thought. _I_ ran _from them right into a crowd! What are people going to think?_ She hoped that nobody had noticed anything awry, the normal Parisians never really seemed to know much about her and Chat. Sure they practically worshipped them, but they didn't know exactly what they did. Hell, who knew if they even knew that she and Chat patrolled! So Ladybug expected that that wouldn't be one of her problems. Ladybug's only problem, or should she say 'concern' was her pursuer. Who were they? The speed and agility rivaling hers, like she thought before, reminded her of a miraculous. But… which?

A more confusing thought, and a troubling one, struck Ladybug. What if it _hadn't been_ a miraculous user? What if it hadn't been anybody? She stretched out her hands in front of her body and stared at them. _What if… What if I imagined the whole thing_? Ladybug's palms began to shake. _No… I would know if that were fake… It must've happened_. It must've. Regardless, She needed to get home. Ladybug shook herself and tried to let go of any thoughts. This wasn't the place. If she needed to worry, she would worry once she was home.

Ladybug, being careful and checking that she wasn't being followed a second time, started home yet again. Just to be safe, she looped around some tall buildings and took the long way. Took more time, but when Ladybug got home, she knew she was safe. In her bedroom, she said the words, "Spots off." Pulling on her pajamas and pulling her hair back, Marinette tried to destress and untangle the mess her head was. When she finally went to bed, she did so peacefully, content with privacy, safety, and the knowledge that all her friends were safe in bed as well. No need to worry, she had worked herself up. Hopefully next time she would be able to get herself together.


	14. Chapter 13

Adrien's perspective:

Adrien paced around his room.

This seemed to become a recurring thing.

His heart was still racing, his heartbeats mimicking the sound of her footsteps. Adrien shuddered.

His mind was whirling, repeating and replaying the secret he had uncovered.

Adrien couldn't believe it. The coincidence was too good to be true. There was no way…

And yet… He had seen it with his own two eyes.

...

Alya was Rena Rouge. Alya, his classmate, his friend.

Adrien had recognized her apartment as soon as she and Ladybug got there. He had thought, _Oh, Rena lives in the same building as Alya._ But as he saw the pair climb into her window, his heart practically stopped. It had taken him a minute to comprehend.

Now that he knew, Adrien didn't know how he hadn't known before. They talked alike, acted similar, and hell they even _looked_ alike. God, He was dumb.

One thing was certain. Ladybug knew Rena Rouge's identity. Adrien remembered thinking about it as he watched Ladybug climb from Alya's window alone. Chat finding out had been mere chance, but somehow, Ladybug got to know before he did.

…

Chat really didn't know how to feel about that.

There was the whole matter of _getting_ a new miraculous and there was only one person that could be. Adrien had never met Master Fu, but Plagg talked about him once in a while and Ladybug referenced him sometimes. If it wasn't Fu, Adrien had no idea where it could've come from, so he committed to that idea.

Adrien was hurt. Not only did Ladybug go and get a new partner to add to the team (right after he confessed to her, no less) but she had done so without his permission or even knowledge. Also, why _her?_ Why should _Ladybug_ get to know who their new teammate was? Adrien wasn't usually one to complain, _especially_ about Ladybug, but he had to draw the line _somewhere_ , right?

 _Has she forgotten that we are partners? That it's Ladybug and Chat Noir, not just Ladybug?_

Adrien tried to forget about that for a second. It was concerning, yes, but Adrien had more immediate problems to deal with right now.

God he was such an idiot. What kind of plan...

 _Course it didn't work, it was Ladybug you dumb…_

Funny part was… Chat had been _convinced_ that it would work. Following Ladybug had seemed like a stellar idea. And it had _almost_ worked. _Almost_. But, Ladybug was Ladybug. Nobody could really ever pull a fast one on her.

But now he had to try again...

Chat had left Ladybug when she had entered the Louvre. If he had pursued any farther, he knew he would've gotten beat up.

 _Stupid stupid stupid stupid_. Adrien wished he hadn't been so obvious. With his powers and suit, it should've been easy for him to remain quiet and hidden. He had been more reckless than anything, shaken up after learning Rena Rouge's true identity and amped up from the chase.

It had been terrifying, Ladybug constantly spinning around trying to catch him. Terrifying and… exhilarating. Something about being on the run and hiding in the shadows… Adrien couldn't describe how he felt then. Like… for the first time ever, he was using his powers and gifts to do what they were _meant_ to do. Like for the longest time he had been charging out into the open when he should've just crept along the ground, remaining hidden until his prey was right in front of him. And then he would-

Adrien tried to forget about that feeling. It felt right, but just not… _right_. He blamed it on Plagg's cat-tiness (?). _Anyway_.

Adrien couldn't stop now, though. He had already alerted Ladybug of something. She was smart, she would've figured someone was after her identity. The gig was up, so there wasn't any harm in not holding back. He would have to trick her or misguide her into leading him back to her house without her having knowledge of him following her. He had chosen to be careless, now his motives were out in the open. So, like he said, Adrien would have to try again.

Adrien sighed. Nothing else he could do. Wouldn't do any good to mope and dwell.

For once, Adrien got a decent amount of sleep (for him, anyway) and arrived at school the next morning.

 _Wow, Ladybug was right, sleep really does change your life._ Adrien was feeling a lot better.

Anyways.

Adrien couldn't shake off this feeling. Sure, now he knew that his classmate had become a superhero and all that jazz, but you wouldn't think that it would mess with him like it did.

To him, everything had changed and seemed different. At every corner he was expecting to run into him, all he heard were the whispers about a new superhero and how much better than Chat she was. About Ladybug's new partner. About the new savior of Paris (which was ridiculous _Ladybug_ was the savior of Paris, yet that's what Adrien heard).

He knew he, or at least his _mind_ , was being ridiculous. Of course nobody was saying that. Alya wouldn't have been likely to post about Rena's debut, seeing as she _was_ her. Strange how the only person's privacy people protected was their own. And since Alya hadn't written about Rena on her Ladyblog (the main source of superhero news for the city), nobody would know. Adrien knew all this.

And yet…

Adrien shook his head ( _God I really do that a lot_ ) and told himself to get a grip.

People were not talking about Rena Rouge. That wasn't going to be a problem that Adrien would have to face.

His running into Alya issue was a different story.

It wasn't like he could tell himself it wasn't going to happen. She was in his homeroom where he had to be in 10 minutes.

Adrien tried to shake off the jitters before heading there. Even, it took him almost all his time to drag himself to class.

He walked into his classroom. Everyone was there. Seemed he was the last one in. Adrien blamed his dread to see Alya.

The girl sat in her usual spot, talking to Marinette. Both girls and Nino smiled and waved at Adrien. He walked over to his desk, avoiding Chloe's stare as she waved at him and tried to get his attention. Adrien shrugged his bag off his shoulder to the floor.

"Hi Marinette. Hi Nino," Adrien said. "H-hi Alya."

 _Stupid. Act natural_.

She smiled at him. "Hi Adrien." She looked a bit off too. Adrien relaxed a bit. This wasn't so hard. Alya was just trying to act normal too. He smiled back at her and sat down. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad knowing that his classmate was a superhero. Even if she didn't know that he was one of her new partners, it would be nice to keep track of his teammate and talk with her. It would be a bit more personal than with Ladybug. Adrien knew practically nothing about her identity. Sometimes it proved a challenge for Adrien to love her when he knew so little, but in the end his feelings always won out. Adrien was glad he would never experience this kind of doubt with Rena.

Before turning around and facing the front of their classroom, Adrien looked over at Marinette. She was looking at him, however when she saw him look at her, Mari reddened and looked back at Alya, trying to talk with her again. Adrien wasn't phased. She normally acted like this. He didn't look away like she did.

Adrien noticed small eye-bags under her eyes. Not exactly strange, the girl usually had eye-bags despite advocating about the importance of sleep, but her eyes seemed kind of… jumpy? Was that the right word? They kept glancing around, never really fixating on one point. That was a bit weird. She looked… unsettled. Adrien shrugged and looked away, realizing he looked like he was staring. He heard Marinette take a deep breath as his eyes left her. Marinette was strange. Adrien was sure it was nothing.

Class was about to start when Adrien heard a loud noise behind him. Almost instantly, he spun around in his chair, his instincts lightning quick. What he saw was Nathaniel lying on the ground behind Marinette's chair grimacing. Adrien guessed Marinette's own instincts were having a bit of a lazy day because it took her a second to react.

Marinette jumped in her chair and spun around, arms up, ready to punch (?) anything behind her. Adrien couldn't see her face, but for a second, poor Nath looked terrified. He scooted back and threw his own hands up, more in a protective manner.

"Ma- Marinette! I, uh, I didn't mean to startle you!" The read head babbled, obviously as unnerved as he had supposedly made Marinette. She gasped and covered her mouth, realizing her mistake.

"Oh Nath, I am _so_ sorry! I must have been nervous and heard- oh god, please forgive me!" Marinette squeaked quickly, her unease instantly making way for embarrassment. Adrien chuckled quietly. Nathaniel looked away. He got up and brushed off his pants.

"My fault for tripping… well, kind of." He grimaced. "Don't worry about it Marinette," Nath said. He looked kind of… red… and _flustered_?

 _Oh_ , Adrien chuckled to himself. _That's right_.

Nathaniel had a crush on Marinette.

Adrien smiled to himself as he watched the conversation unfold.

She smiled at Nathaniel. "Well I feel bad anyway. These past few days have been kind of rough for me." Marinette sighed. "I feel like I never get a break. God, there's always something popping up and I guess it's gotten to my nerves now."

"Busy schedule? I get that. Seems like it's every week that I have to attend some art show or I'm working for hours on a new piece I'm making. I would think it would be similar to you and your fashion stuff. It's never made me jumpy though… Are you sure you're okay?" Nathan looked genuinely concerned for Marinette. Adrien smiled. It was nice having someone care for your friends.

"You're asking _me_ that? You just fell!" Marinette laughed. "Yeah, I'm fine, just a bit wound up. I'm sure things will calm down for me soon enough," she said.

"So what've you been working on? I gotta know what's warranted this jumpy behavior," Nath teased.

"Oh you know," Marinette mumbled, "five things at once and wanting to finish all of them, yet not wanting to at the same time. It's just been an endless cycle of artist's block and total inspiration. I'm a bit dizzy." She giggled

Adrien had no clue what she was talking about, but it seemed that Nathaniel did.

"Ah yes. That happens to me every couple of months. Half your time is spent creating, or drawing in my case, and the other half stressing about not doing it." Nath sighed. "Hopefully you get over it soon. I would love to look at your work sometime. You seem like someone who would really dedicate yourself to a piece, Marinette. I feel like I could really get some inspiration from you!"

"Oh, sure! Who knows, maybe we can something up and work together. That sounds nice." Marinette and Nathaniel started talking art and fashion stuff, or whatever. Adrien wished he knew what they were talking about, his Dad worked in _fashion_ for heaven sakes.

Adrien turned back around to face the front of the room. Best to stop eavesdropping regardless. He would let Marinette and Nath chat it up. He quite liked the guy and it seemed like he calmed Marinette down, something Adrien rarely managed to do.

Adrien thought back on what Marinette had said. He too had been feeling a bit wound up recently. With the whole confession fiasco a few days ago… Adrien was still settling into that. It felt a bit numb at the moment. And last night… Rena and Ladybug. Things were definitely speeding up in Adrien's life. Hopefully he would get a break soon.

The teacher walked to the desk in the front of the classroom and cleared her throat ready to call out the attendance. One by one, Adrien's classmates answered with a "here." Adrien drifted off slowly, staring at the board at the front of the room.

Suddenly, he was jostled awake as someone barreled past his elbow and out the door. Adrien's mind quickly gained its bearings and he watched as Alya left the room closely followed by Marinette. Alya seemed kind of pale… Adrien instantly glanced out the windows fearing the worst. And what did you know…

Ms. Bustier called his name. "Adrien?" She looked around the room before spotting him.

Before she could say or write anything, Adrien stood up. "Better mark me as tardy, Ms. Bustier." Nino glanced up at him, confused, but Adrien was already halfway across the room.

He should have expected it. Even though it had been a couple of days of crazy events, there hadn't been any attacks recently, which was odd for Paris.

He followed Alya out and prepared himself to fight the akuma.


	15. Chapter 14

Alya's perspective:

Alya ran through the halls, searching for a place to hide so she could transform. Marinette had been with her when they had left the classroom, but she was gone now, thank god. Alya didn't know how she could've transformed with her friend trying to follow her.

Alya slowed and turned a corner, spying the bathrooms. Relieved to find a place that nobody would see her transform, she sprinted inside and locked herself into a stall. She ducked down to the floor, looking for feet. Once Alya was sure she was alone, she sighed and held open the front pocket of her plaid shirt to let Trixx out. She slumped against the door.

"Oh, Trixx," Alya whispered. "We have to transform. There's an akuma!" She grabbed at her neck, pulling her miraculous out from underneath her shirt.

"Well then? What are we waiting for?" Trixx's face twisted into a grin, much to Alya's surprise. "It's been hundreds of years since I've had a good fight!" Alya just stared at him, stunned at how enthusiastic he was. She started stroking her necklace

"Trixx, I've never fought anyone before! 'Specially not some super villain type with _powers_. I've only been Rena Rouge for what? _Less than two days?_ "

Trixx shook his head at Alya. "It would seem that you're forgetting that _you_ have powers too! And that Chat and Ladybug will be there, probably expecting you to at least make an appearance. And why should you be scared? The way you tell it, you've been chasing after these "villains" for years, eager to get some action. Typical humans to want something until they have it."

Alya hung her head, ashamed at Trixx's grumbling. He was right. This _was_ what she had wanted for _years_. Hadn't she told Ladybug just last night that she would do whatever it took to protect Paris. Her exact words were, "I will be here whenever you need me. I am prepared to protect my city." How could Alya hesitate now when Ladybug had granted her such a huge honor, the chance to become a superhero. Alya shook her head, trying to reorganize her thoughts.

"...Okay. Le-let's do it," Alya gulped. "Trixx… Let's pounce." Her kwami smiled as he was sucked into her necklace.

An orange light instantly seemed to pour out of Alya's miraculous, much like it had last night. It weaved around, forming tendrils of light. They stretched out from her neck all in separate directions. Then the nine ribbons began to twist, wrapping around her neck, arms, stomach. The light spread until Alya was blinded by it reaching over her eyes. She couldn't see anymore, but she could _feel_ the light giving her energy, could feel it relinquishing its power over to Alya. Alya could feel _Trixx's_ spirit molding into her mind.

She felt the transformation alter her body. She felt her clothes being stripped away and being replaced by her alter ego, Rena Rouge's, outfit. Her concerns had mostly, _mostly_ , been swept away by the shift.

When Alya opened her eyes, she wasn't Alya anymore. She was _Rena Rouge_. Her mask, tail, and flute confirmed that. Rena's ears turned around on her head, detecting any nearby sound. Content when she couldn't find any within close vicinity, she slowly opened the door, peeking out.

Leaving the school undetected proved to be easier than Rena thought it would be. It was the middle of class and most Parisians were used to the attacks by now. Though it had been a few years since the first, there were still some that panicked each time. It was kind of crazy considering that nowadays akumas attack at least once a week, but Rena learned long ago that people love to be dramatic. Of course there were also the thrill-seekers, like Rena used to be. Usually some would be running around. Rena knew that they would get underfoot in the fighting, but she couldn't be too mad considering she used to be just as bad. She was also happy to have the excuse of "reporting" covering her absence.

Rena crept out the main doors of the school and quickly ran into an alley where she climbed a building to the roof. Best if people didn't see a superhero running out a _high school_. Once up, she looked around, searching for any threats or teammates. The akuma didn't seem to be nearby, but, to Rena's surprise, Ladybug was. She was only a few blocks away, on another rooftop.

Trying to be discreet, Rena leapt over to where Ladybug was crouched on the building. Although she tried not to make a sound so as not to draw the akuma's attention, which seemed like it would've been easy considering the soft insoles on her feet and the agility her suit gave her, Ladybug jumped as soon as Rena got within 20 feet of her.

 _Ladybug and Chat Noir really_ are _that much better than everyone else…_ Rena had known that they were powerful and alert before, but most people accounted a lot of that to their suits and powers. Now that Rena knew exactly what those things really granted, she knew it wasn't just that. Maybe at first the two had been a bit sloppy and a couple of pushovers, but there really was no denying the abilities of the heroes of Paris. Of Ladybug and Chat Noir.

"Hey, you ready to fight some akumas?" Ladybug asked, flexing her fingers and glancing over her shoulder. Her eyes focused back on Rena and Rena felt her face heat up.

"Uh, yeah. Totally ready."

Ladybug softened as she looked at Rena's face. "Oh, don't look so grim! Don't worry, today I'm not expecting much from you today. Chat and I should be able to handle this one just fine," Ladybug said, looking at the giant rubix cube waddling around the city a mile away. She smirked. "I'm sorry for this, by the way. Must be scary." Ladybug ran a hand through her pigtails. "I know I was terrified the first day I had to fight an akuma. But what can we do… We're lucky we got such a long break from Hawkmoth. Six whole days."

Rena winced at Ladybug's grumbling. She knew all about the heroes hectic schedules. Alya liked to follow them around for a story for her blog. Because of that she was out there a _lot_. And she couldn't even make it to most akuma fights with school, babysitting her sisters, working, e.t.c.. Rena didn't know how she'd be able to juggle all of the fights and duties she agreed to. Rena didn't know how _they_ did it.

Ladybug was staring at Rena with an apologetic smile when suddenly she jumped up, eyes going wide and face going still. Rena heard a voice speak out behind her.

"Yeah, we have been pretty lucky haven't we. Was just a matter of time." Chat Noir's voice sang from behind her, smooth as silk. Rena turned to face him, internally grumbling that _he_ could sneak up on her. Rena couldn't be _too_ upset however. Chat had managed to approach _Ladybug_ without her noticing.

Speaking of Ladybug, the heroine was clutching her chest and gasping, getting over the shock of Chat's sudden arrival. Rena couldn't help but smile. Chat, too, seemed a little pleased, though he rushed over to apologize.

"Sorry Ladybug. Forgot you wanted me to stop doing that. Hope I didn't freak you out _too_ much." Chat said. His eyes were fixed on Ladybug, watching her watch him. His eyebrows were narrowed in observation. Ladybug shook her head.

"Nah, I've just been a bit jumpy. If you'd caught me on a better day, I would've seen you coming a mile away!"

"I have. And you haven't," Chat smirked. Ladybug rolled her eyes and cleared her throat.

"Anyways. We have to get over there," she said pointing across the city where a godzilla-sized Rubik's cube could be seen sticking up from behind buildings. It was practically comical. Probably would've been if Rena hadn't been feeling terrified. Ladybug sighed.

"Well, let's get on with this, Chat." She looked at him and he nodded. "Rena stay close, but don't do anything stupid. You're a complete rookie and would be more of a liability than anything in a fight… no offense of course," said Ladybug, looking in concern towards Rena, but Rena had no issue with staying out of the way.

"Let's go!" Chat cried out from behind, backing up and enthusiastically sprinting towards the edge of the roof. Ladybug chuckled and followed her partner, leaping from their rooftop with ease. Rena hesitated for a second, but then followed, less fluidly and agile, but followed nonetheless.

The team bound together towards the threat. It was no time at all before they rounded the corner onto the street that the akuma was on.

Ladybug stretched out a hand towards Chat and Rena. "Stop." She pulled her hand up towards her mouth where put a finger on her lips, telling them to be quiet. Chat rolled his eyes. Rena listened obediently. They moved to the side and took cover between buildings. Rena tried to be invisible while Ladybug and Chat Noir peeked out and at the akuma.

"What do you reckon it can do?" Chat whispered. "I mean a _Rubik's cube_?" He giggled. Ladybug slapped him, but not very hard, Rena noticed.

"Focus, Chat!"

Chat looked over at Rena. "Oh, calm down," he _winked_. "I'm _always_ focused." He glanced back at Ladybug. "Plus, not like we're gonna see much from here. Thing's so big I doubt we're even looking at the _front_. Wouldn't it need eyes or something? Pretty sure what we're looking at is the cube's ass-"

"Chat, _focus…_ you're probably right though. This spot isn't looking so promising." Ladybug turned to Rena. "Come get a look."

Rena nodded and crept forward carefully until she could poke her head out onto the street. Chat moved out of the way and gave her his spot. She looked.

 _What… in Ladybug's name… is_ that _?_

At the end of the street, a rainbow _wall_ stood. This close up, it seemed to stretch forever into the sky, looming over nearly all of the nearby buildings. Rena couldn't help, but let out a low whistle. "Damn, that thing's thicker than most of my textbooks."

Chat cracked up behind her, but the noise was followed by a slap, which Rena could only guess was Ladybug chastising him. Rena stepped back, embarrassed.

Ladybug tried to maintain a serious face. "Uhh- yes. It is. And we're gonna have to move at it without fully scoping it out. It's too large to get a good view of without moving far away, which is out of the question at this point, and we don't know what it's powers are. It could be terrorizing poor civilians on the other side, we don't know. Ready?" Both Rena and Chat nodded and followed when Ladybug jumped up into the air, grabbing at a windowsill and pulling herself up, climbing the building. Chat made it first and held his hand out to Rena, nodding politely as he helped pull her up. Rena smiled at him.

The heroes were on the move once again as they looped around a few blocks to get in front of their fight. When they could see the Rubik's cube's face (yes it had one), Ladybug and Chat Noir made the executive decision to just attack. Best way to find an akumatized item was to approach it, apparently. Chat lifted his baton into the air like a mock sword, screamed really high, and charged at the monster like a maniac. Watching him run, Ladybug sighed and turned towards Rena.

"Stay around here. Don't hide behind a building or anything, people seeing you would be good. Do _not_ intervene with the fight unless either me or Chat says so," Ladybug listed. She glanced back at Chat. "Sorry, but like I said earlier, you're a liability right now." Rena nodded along, understanding where Ladybug was coming from.

"... You know what, Rena," Ladybug's voice chimed up. "There is something you can do for me… See Chat? I want you to watch him for any weird behavior…" Rena looked at Ladybug in surprise, but the heroine was still facing the direction of her partner, who had settled to helping a nearby elder before leading his assault. "I- I know it sounds a little silly, but… I just want to know if he's acting normal. Something… happened recently and, I don't know, today's really been the only day he's acted like himself again. Just…" Ladybug finally met Rena's eyes. "Let me know if anything looks off or anything." The last bit was more of a mumble than anything as Ladybug looked at her feet, embarrassed. Rena thought it was adorable. She was a ladynoir shipper afterall. Some things were strange about Ladybug's words though… Weird behavior? Something happening?

"Sure thing, Ladybug! Now go get 'em!"

The heroine smiled at Rena. "Thanks."

And just like that she was off. Rena watched as Ladybug ran over to where Chat was and after quickly seeing that no more civilians needed immediate help, they headed, side by side to fight the…. Thing? Rena wasn't sure what she was watching, but whatever it was, Ladybug and Chat Noir seemed to be far superior to it, at least in fighting. The akuma's power was the ability to change thing's _color_. Talk about lame. Rena wondered how Hawkmoth was still sane.

 _He probably isn't_. Bit of a grim thought.

Anyway… the fight had started. It wasn't exactly equal though… Ladybug and Chat were basically toying with the akuma from the start, searching for it's akumatized object. Rena wasn't sure how the akuma even functioned. It stomped around a little and swatted into the air at Ladybug and Chat, but it wasn't very fast or accurate.

The main issue that the two seemed to have was moving around. Whenever the giant cube moved, it seemed to knock a chunk out of a building with an edge or corner and it was causing some trouble for the heroes. Between dodging chunks of building and keeping an eye out for any civilians that might still be lingering underneath, Chat Noir and Ladybug had their hands pretty full. Rena tried to help with the civilians, but she could honestly say that she wasn't all that useful, not yet used to her powers and using them to sense things around her.

She watched as Ladybug and Chat Noir danced around, doing their thing. Rena tried to watch and learn from them, but she wasn't the best visual learner. She managed to turn some civilians away, however (this one mean looking old lady accompanied by a young man). They had reacted to her weird at first, not knowing her and all, but at least had the sense to listen to what Rena had to say, which, at the moment, was, "Get away!" Yeah… Rena wasn't feeling all that great about herself. It felt like she was on the sidelines again, a regular girl, but instead of feeling that thrill at being so close to the action, Rena felt like she should've been _closer_. She didn't know why she was guilt-tripping herself. Ladybug had told her to stay back and it made _sense goddamnit_. But it still didn't feel right to claim to be a hero while sitting on the side doing nothing. Rena looked back at the fight again. Ladybug and Chat Noir were fighting for Paris. _They_ were truly heroes. Rena tried to let her self-deprecating emotions go, leaving only admiration for her heroes. Rena felt herself slip back into her mind as she began to lose herself in thought...

Rena was startled back to attention by Chat Noir's cry. After looking around, she found the reason. Chat had noticed a girl moving towards the fight, eyes wide in astonishment. He waved at her, mouthing for her to go away. She just blushed and waved back, either not understanding or just actively being stupid. Rena rolled her eyes and was just about to help when Chat growled in frustration and jumped towards her. He picked her up princess-style and began to run to another street. The girl giggled and put her hand on his chest. Chat stiffened and narrowed his eyes. Just when Rena was sure that he was about to drop her, Chat smiled politely back at her and used one of his hands to reach around her and take her hand of him. When Chat finally dropped her off at the end of the street, the girl watched, annoyed, as he leapt away straight into the battle then shrugged and walked off.

Rena was impressed by Chat's courtesy. Most guys she knew would either ditch her or flirt back, but Chat hadn't. Behind that whole flirty and roguish image he tried to show, he was probably just trying to impress Ladybug. Rena couldn't help but see him in a different light. Reminded her of some people she knew, actually. She couldn't help but laugh a little. Who would've thought that the black-clad, bad boy vigilante was a soft and thoughtful guy. It made her happy to think that Chat was just as heroic and stoic as Ladybug. It was a shame nobody ever noticed.

She remembered that she was supposed to be looking for any strange behaviors from Chat for Ladybug, but, honestly, Rena didn't notice much off. Either Ladybug was being a bit stressed, or Chat was good at hiding his thoughts. The fight went off without a significant hitch, it ending in about half and hour with Chat grabbing an hourglass necklace from the akuma's fist and crushing it. Ladybug swung over to purify it with her yoyo and with a quick 'miraculous ladybug,' everything was back to normal. The surrounding buildings that had been damaged became whole and a young boy was left sitting in the middle of the street, clutching his small hourglass timer.

As Ladybug and Chat Noir approached him, Rena moved forward too, because, hey, Ladybug wanted people to know she existed. She caught up with them just as they reached the boy.

"Hello," Ladybug smiled at him, holding out her hand. "Are you okay?"

The boy glanced up at her, nervous. "Yeah… what happened?"

"Oh, don't worry about it," Chat said, waving his hand. "We were just over here helping some people with hero stuff." He winked at the boy. "Then we saw you over here sitting in the middle of the street. Want to tell me how you got here?"

The boy's eyes wandered over to Rena, believing Chat quickly. "Who's she?"

Chat's eyes trailed to Rena and he smiled. "Why, that's me and Ladybug's new partner!" He beckoned Rena over. "C'mon, introduce yourself!"

Ladybug smiled encouragely at Rena. Rena gulped. Then she stepped forward.

"Hi, I'm Rena Rouge! I'm going to be working with Ladybug and Chat Noir from now on." Rena calmed as she talked. She was used to kids, she babysat her sisters a lot, and this kid was obviously in awe. She smiled warmly at him and he smiled back.

"Woah, that's really cool! A whole new superhero! I don't think we've had anyone else before!" The kid looked genuinely excited.

Chat took over for Rena. "So, what's that you got?" he said motioning to the kid's timer.

"It's the timer i use to time myself while I solve a Rubik's cube! Just a second ago, I was at a whole big competition and I had to bring it to that…" The boy trailed off, finally seeming confused by his surroundings.

"Mhhm. Tell me about this competition. Do know where it was?"

Ladybug nudged Rena as Chat and the boy started to talk. She leaned over and whispered, "Hey let's talk over here. Chat'll figure out where to take the boy. He's good at that kind of thing. People trust him."

Rena followed Ladybug away until they were out of Chat's earshot and it was just the two of them.

"So… Rena. Did you see anything?" Ladybug didn't look like she expected much. Her face looked dejected.

"Um… not exactly, no. I'm not sure what you were looking for, Ladybug, but I wasn't able to find it. Sorry I couldn't be of any help…"

Ladybug sighed. "That's okay. I was watching him a bit too out of the corner of my eye. He seems normal. Asking you was kind of a long shot."

"Sorry if I'm being stupid by asking this, but why do you _want_ something to be off? I thought you wanted him to be normal. You seemed really happy when you and he apparently resolved an issue when he wrote that note last night." Ladybug's eyes lit up at Rena's words. "If that's true, I would think no reaction would be the best reaction… Though I wouldn't know. Sorry if I'm being a bit too invasive. I don't even know what you two are going through…"

Ladybug quickly reassured Rena, "Oh no. I think you're right. He _did_ write that note last night and his behavior today shows that he probably meant it." She smiled at Rena. "Thank you for helping me."

"You- Your welcome." Ladybug was surprisingly easy to please. It was nice to be able to think of her idols as regular people rather than a pair of paragons that Rena couldn't hope to imitate. They were _people_. Ladybug was stressed and a bit paranoid and Chat Noir was a bit too playful and could hang with that, Rena could hang with regular people.

But she didn't really feel like she'd been able to help Ladybug as much as Ladybug said she did. All Rena had told her was true, but _still_. It wasn't like Ladybug to make random hunches and her intuition was usually right (Rena knew this after watching her outsmart her enemies for the past few years). Maybe it was just Rena, but there really _wasn't_ anything to say… Even Ladybug hadn't noticed anything strange about Chat.

…

While there hadn't been anything _off_ about Chat Noir for Rena to report to Ladybug, she couldn't help this nagging feeling in her head. She had watched him for any suspicious behavior, but had really found the opposite. Instead of the strange and moody personality that Ladybug had prepared her for, Rena had noticed a caring and courteous guy. When he offered to help her the roof earlier that day, when he smiled encouragely at her, when he helped that teenage girl away from the fight, and when he had consoled the young boy. Rena was disappointed that she had not recognized those types of behaviors as Chat Noir's usual, though now as she thought about it, he had never done anything genuinely bad before, actually talking with the people more often than Ladybug. But Rena had recognized _something_ from those gentlemanly gestures. She hadn't recognized Chat, but there was _something else that Rena just could not put her finger on_.

Rena lost focus of Ladybug and instead looked over her shoulder where he was surveying the area, making sure everything had been fixed like it was supposed to be. Somehow, he'd managed to get the kid going the right way. Rena guessed that Chat wouldn't have let him go by himself if the competition was that far. Rena gulped. She stepped past Ladybug who was giving her confused stares and walked up to him.

"Chat Noir?"

Chat looked at her and grinned, winking. "Yes?" His smile was kind, if not a little bit fake, but kind.

...

"Do… Do I know you?"


	16. Chapter 15

Chat's Perspective:

"Do... Do I know you?"

Rena, _Alya_ , was staring at him, a strange look in her eyes.

Ladybug's head instantly snapped up at the question, her eyes first flicking to Chat (where they seemed to stay uncomfortably long) then switched back and forth between him and Rena, a look of disbelief in her eyes.

It took _Chat_ a second to process what Rena had actually said, every word piecing together to form a sentence.

 _Does… Does she- does she_ know _me?_

His smile was instantly wiped from his face and he grew still. She wasn't supposed to say that.

"... Rena."

Her eyes bore holes through his.

He gulped.

 _How-?_

She had no way of knowing. _Right?_

 _This was not supposed to happen._

He tried to smirk again, diffusing the intensity of the moment. Time to see how Adrien Agreste's acting skills were. He pretended to look her up and down and study her face...

Which was scary and not helping.

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about…" Bad move. Chat cringed inwardly. Rena narrowed her eyes.

"I could've _sworn_ you reminded me of someone I know. I don't know who-" (oh, thank god), "- but I've got this weird feeling." Her eyes were unwavering. Chat cleared his throat. He didn't have the patience for this.

"Okay, that's _great_ and all, but… You're wearing a mask. I don't know how you think you recognize me, but without seeing your face, I couldn't possibly recognize you.

"And I'm almost positive I don't know you."

 _pleaseworkpleaseworkpleaseworkpleasework_.

Rena seemed speechless for a second.

Was it working?

"I really don't think you know me," Chat said. _Please let this go, Alya_.

Rena broke their eye contact and looked him up and down again.

"I suppose…"

Chat smiled wider. "I swear that if I _did_ know you, I would be thrilled, but alas."

…

Rena shook her head.

"... Yeah… You're right. Sorry… it was probably a fluke anyway… what are the chances?" After a pause, she smiled back at him, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Chat Noir exhaled and snuck a look at Ladybug. Alya figuring out who he was would mess so much up. Especially because Ladybug already knew who Rena was… He didn't know how, but Ladybug was so smart she would _somehow_ manage to discover his identity…

Now that he thought about it, was that such a bad thing. Isn't that what he wanted now? For them to know each other's identity? _Yes_.

But not like this.

"Well, that was new," Chat managed to choke out. He chuckled. "Nobody's ever thought they knew me before."

Both girls remained silent.

Damn them.

Chat Noir panicked. He had nothing left to say or do. Every second of their trio staring awkwardly at each other was painful.

Ladybug was still watching him, though significantly less on edge now that he had seemingly cleared things up with Alya.

Alya… Alya was still looking strange.

 _Rena. Call her Rena._

God, Chat couldn't stand this.

"Uh-"

"I'm just gonna go… I'm going to be late for something."

With those words, he spun around and leapt away, trying not to look back. It was a poor reaction, he knew, and looked hella suspicious, but he couldn't help it. And he _was_ going to be late for class. He wasn't exactly looking forward to getting in more trouble than he already was at school, but Chat couldn't stick around any longer.

* * *

Adrien slid into his math seat just as the bell rang. He had obviously made it back before Alya had so he tried to relax. He looked at the board and began to get his materials for the class out of his backpack to copy what was written.

Adrien had just finished writing when Alya steps in the door dramatically, blatantly disheveled. He found it hard to keep a straight face.

Alya instantly heads towards the teacher's desk, where he was waiting impatiently.

"Mr. Dubois, I'm really sorry that I'm late. I got caught up chasing the akuma and took it pretty far…" Alya told him as she bowed her head, seemingly in shame. Mr Dubois straightened his glasses.

"I recommend showing some more responsibility in the future, Alya. With testing coming up soon, I don't think you want to be missing any class time. And that goes for any class, Miss Cesaire. I've been discussing with the other teachers. You miss too much school because you're constantly chasing after those supervillains! It's childish and we expect better from you."

"Yes, Mr. Dubois. I'll try my best."

The teacher told Alya to take a seat and she did. Adrien couldn't help but respect her a little. She had been quick to come up with an excuse, and a reasonable one too. But it wouldn't last. The teachers were already on to her based off of her days _following_ the superheroes. He could only imagine the trouble Alya would get into now that she was an _actual_ superhero. Thank god he and Ladybug had started a while back when the teachers were less strict about getting to class and the akumas were still a new and rare occurrence, a real cause for panic. It was going to be harder for Alya to sneak out than it had been for anyone else. However, there was nothing Adrien could do. He tried to focus back on his work.

Tried.

But Alya was being so _distracting_.

Her hair bobbed back and forth as Alya turned her head around the room. Her eyes jumped from face to face as she scanned her classmates, searching. But for what?

Alya's eyes snapped to his and she jumped.

" _What are you doing"_ , Adrien mouthed silently to her

She shakes her head back. " _Nothing."_

Adrien smirked and looked away, leaving her be. Quickly, though, he dropped the grin. He knew what Alya was up to, why she was looking around at everybody. Adrien would have to tone down his mannerisms if he wanted to avoid Alya figuring out his identity. Nobody had before, but none of them knew Chat in the way that Alya was going to. Sure he'd met Nino and Marinette while transformed, but that was fleeting. Adrien sighed. He knew he thought earlier that it would be nice having another superhero as a friend, but it was going to be _so much more_ annoying to have to hide that Chat Noir sides of his personality.

 _She'll probably give up soon._ He watched Alya out of the corner of his eye. Most people usually did.

Adrien pretended to be studying his notes as he thought. Alya could do whatever she wanted right now. She wasn't going to figure it out. Sure, she was smart, but Adrien was good at keeping secrets. He had other stuff he had to be focusing on: figuring out Ladybug's identity.

 _Time to think. How could I sneak up on Ladybug…_ Well _that_ part wasn't so hard. Chat had already done that today. The annoying part would be catching Ladybug's detransformation. She was careful about that. He would have to watch her closely...

His thoughts strayed back to Alya…

He guessed the constant news source centered around Ladybug would finally be good for _something_.

Alya usually posted regular updates on Ladybug and her whereabouts. Whether she was out patrolling with Chat, fighting an akuma, or roaming the city on her own. Alya's following kept her blog informed and quick. If there was any way to track Ladybug, it was through the Ladyblog. God, how annoying it had been steering Alya out of danger or having plans spoiled. Now… Adrien understood the excitement. He had a way to find her.

One thing had changed however and he didn't know how it would affect his idea. Alya was a superhero now. Ladybug had explained to her the importance of secrecy and of subtlety, Adrien assumed. Would Alya's updates slow down because of this? Or would she keep at the same pace to not look suspicious or let her followers down? Ladybug _also_ probably told her to act normally. People would notice if the most trusted source of superhero news suddenly disappeared.

And Alya loved her work too much to let it go, right? Being a superhero might've been a wish, but reporting was her _passion_.

With a solid plan, Adrien waited the day out. He raised his hand in a few classes, took some notes. It was pretty basic.

Then he went home.

And he planted himself at his computer.

…

 _Okay. Let's see what Alya's been doing_.

The most recent article was from four days ago… Adrien wasn't liking how this was looking. Alya normally posted multiple times a day (how, he didn't know). He clicked on the piece. It was titled, "Ladybug versus Bricks: Part Three." Okay, fair enough, Alya. Adrien clicked on the tab named "updates" at the top of the page.

Instantly, a list appears on his screen. This was what was really going to help Adrien. Up to date posts about Ladybug sightings. The last update was from under an hour ago. "Ladybug and Chat Noir sighted fighting akuma this morning." Alya must've posted it as soon as class had let out.

Adrien leaned back in his chair. Okay. This was it. He had figured out how to find Ladybug. He would just let Alya do all the work.

Adrien closed his eyes.

And heard a 'ding.'

 _Huh?_

He opened his eyes and read the name of the article Alya had just posted.

"Rena Rouge: New Superhero?"

…

Adrien couldn't help but smirk. He clicked.


	17. Chapter 16

Marinette's Perspective:

 _What did she mean?_

 _Did she know him?_

Marinette's head hurt. She should probably forget it. It was probably nothing.

And yet…

Marinette had seen the look in her eyes. As Alya's best friend, it has become her business to. Marinette knew that look.

For about as long as Marinette had known Alya, she had run the Ladyblog. Alya was constantly working on a new theory or idea. She was curious by nature and followed her instincts.

Everyone knew that.

But it was rare for Alya to find something that she was completely passionate about, crazy as that sounded. Sure, Alya got into everything she spent time on, but that was more out of dedication. A need to share everything to her followers because that was what they expected from her and she was happy to oblige. So she would research and observe just about anything.

But sometimes, Alya would find something, a theory, a connection, _anything_ , and she would instantly become _invested_. Alya would be hit with such a sudden premonition of sorts. It happened whenever Alya found something she was sure of. It happened when she knew with all of her being that she had found the answer. Sometimes it happened after diving into a theory she wasn't committed to. She would find _something_ and everything would change. Alya would learn one thing and her whole mindset would change from 'okay maybe this can explain this' to 'how could i have never thought of this before, it changes everything'.

It rarely happened the instant Alya thought of a new idea.

And rarely was Alya wrong.

But, like Chat said. They wore _masks_. And it's not like it was likely that Alya knew him. Hell, Paris was a large city. The chances that Alya recognized and knew Chat were astronomical.

Astronomical. Right?

And… and even if Alya _had_ met him before… She didn't know _who_. She said so herself.

Right?

And even if… even if they _knew_ each other. It wasn't like… _it wouldn't be_ _ **that**_ _bad…_

 _Right?_

Even if they knew each other and because Alya also knew Marinette, there was a small chance that Marinette might know, or might even have met, Chat Noir...

Even if he turned out to be someone she was close to…

Even if they figured out each other's identity, figured out _her_ identity…

Even if Hawkmoth managed to get hold of one of them and managed to figure out all of their identities, dooming them, their families, their friends, all of Paris…

Even if Chat Noir discovered who she was and decided he hated her for rejecting him…

Even if he actually didn't agree with her when she said she wanted to keep things professional…

Even if she would lose one of her best friends forever…

Even if Alya got mad that Marinette had been Ladybug all along, watching her suffer through theories when she was _right there_ …

Even if Paris _hated_ her forever for being such a bad superhero that she let their enemy learn her and her partner's identities, endangering all of them.

It wouldn't- _couldn't_ be _that_ bad, Right?

 _Right?_

...

Marinette's phone dinged from where is sat in her backpack. Marinette stretched out from her chair at the noise, taking a break from her thoughts to glance at the notification.

"Rena Rouge: New Superhero?"

The headline caught Marinette's full attention and she dropped the pen she was holding.

 _She posted it._

Marinette tried to let everything else go. To focus only on the headline.

She took deep breaths.

 _Stop being foolish. Stop thinking like this. They_ don't _know each other. Nothing bad will happen._

 _They won't leave you._

 _..._

Marinette turned towards her computer and brought up the Ladyblog. There it was. Alya really had posted. A handful of comments were already below despite the article being posted only a few moments before.

 _Calm down._

Marinette clicked on it.

* * *

Rena Rouge: New Superhero?

All of you native Parisians will know these past few months have been difficult for our city. Hawkmoth and his akumas seem to have been getting stronger and more copious, though Chat Noir and Ladybug have seemingly handled the situation almost perfectly, and have been for the time we've known them. As our enemy has grown stronger, so have our heroes, always making the right decisions, putting all of us first, and protecting Paris. I believe I am safe in assuming that we all would put our lives in their hands. They have never let us down, never turned their backs.

But, like I mentioned previously, Hawkmoth's power continues to grow. Akuma attacks seem to be becoming longer and more dangerous. Hawkmoth, whoever or whatever he is, grows to be more of a threat every day. I remember in the early days, Ladybug and Chat Noir, though still very much rookies, would be able to put the akuma in its place within the hour.

But when you compare then to now, the changes are more drastic than you would think. In the old days, you would rarely see building or homes destroyed from a battle. The few times such destruction did take place, people noticed and made a big deal of. The most _recent_ akuma attack, Rubik's cube, has arguably been one of the tamest in months, and yet, multiple storefronts and apartments were destroyed by his massive size. I looked for people's reaction across every media, but all people were saying was that it was a quiet day. Nobody even bats an eye at the blatant destruction that would have once shocked us all. We've grown used to it, numb in a way. It is time to really step back and observe ourselves as a unified city and anything or anyone threatening it. If we continue to ignore the signs of Paris turning into a deadly place, we won't have a home for very much longer.

I think I really started to notice a change a few months ago during a certain akuma attack. I'm sure you all remember it. Howler remains one of the longest and most gruesome akuma attacks. Some of my fellow reporters have even told me that Chat Noir badly injured his arm during one of the fights, one which wasn't fully healed by Ladybug's miraculous Ladybug. When I first heard of this, I was shocked. After a year of living under Ladybug and Chat Noir's protection, I realized I had been taken for granted everything they do for this city, everything they do for us. I think it's hard to finally realize exactly who Ladybug and Chat Noir are. They are people who have dedicated nearly two years of their lives to helping people. And when I say to realize who they are, I don't mean their civilian identities, because before all of that, Ladybug and Chat Noir are heroes. First and foremost, they really are our saviors. These two beautiful people have done so much for us. And when I truly understood they were really just people, it was difficult for me to accept that I'd only noticed because they were struggling. I am ashamed to admit to myself that I've always taken Ladybug and Chat Noir for granted, but when I saw them that day, during the Howler attack, when I watched them bloody and tired on our rooftops, I recognized that even they might now be able to do this alone forever.

I hope you know how much it bothers me to say this, how wrong these words look typed out, but before I explain to you a new development concerning the superheroes, I feel I must provide an explanation.

I am not saying that Ladybug and Chat Noir are too weak to fight Hawkmoth at this current time. These past few months have still been outrageously in their favor. They win _every_ fight and as Hawkmoth has been getting stronger, so have they. After such a long time of studying them, I believe I am qualified enough to say this. I remember when they duo first started out. They were talented from the beginning, but their abilities have evolved so much since then. Their power has increased and they've grown to be so strong.

I'm sure you all already know what I'm going to be talking about today based off of the title. I don't know how widespread this topic is yet, but I wanted to get this out there quickly before other people start giving you incorrect information or making wild claims. I know you should never take everything you read online for truth, but I hope my reputation and credentials are enough for you all to take what I am saying as true. I guarantee that everything I post on this blog has been researched and checked with multiple sources. I know I can post pretty ridiculous things on here, but whenever I give out information, I always do my best to ensure its credibility.

And so, what you all clicked on this article for. A supposed 'new superhero' has been spotted this afternoon in Paris. I, myself, was up and about during today's attack, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to see the focus of the fight (though I know that Chat and Ladybug defeated it quicker than usual today. Props to them). However I have had several witnesses approach me online with both words and recorded proof of a new superhero that apparently made her official debut today.

My sources are telling me the same things about her, but for time's sake, I will leave a link below to a video submission I received earlier from one of you guys. I have checked it's credibility, but you are free to do so on your own if you wish. The video is my main concrete reference for today, so check it out.

To describe today's events, as you know, an akuma attack occurred. Rubik's cube might have seemed comedic, but he was still very dangerous to any passerby close by. Luckily, Chat Noir and Ladybug were able to get the situation under control before anything truly horrible happened. The interesting thing about all of this was their company. Today, Ladybug and Chat Noir were accompanied by someone new that I don't believe anybody has seen before, or at least I, nor my usual reporters, haven't.

This stranger is female and was dressed similarity to Ladybug and Chat Noir, in the regard of her suit and its material. Though, like Chat and Ladybug look different from each other, she looked unique as well. She wore orange and appeared to have ears and a tail, like Chat Noir, though obviously not a cat's. The placement of white patches on her stomach and tail seem to resemble what I believe is a fox. She, like I said, was present at the akuma fight, but wasn't as involved as Chat or Ladybug. She mostly stood to the side and warned any citizens to move away from the action.

The newcomer's appearance is what made witnesses notice her. She doesn't look like a regular civilian by a long shot. Her sudden and unanticipated appearance have many people asking who she is.

Luckily, and this part is also included in the video link below, This newcomer introduced herself for us. After the battle had finished, she joined Chat Noir and Ladybug in approaching the akuma victim, something we've never seen anyone else do before. I have not been able to contact the actual boy himself because of his young age and I decided I didn't want to bother this poor kid by making him rethink everything, so I used the audio of my video source. The conversation went as follows:

[Ladybug]: "Hello, are you okay?" [to Boy]

[Boy]: "Yeah, what happened?"

[Chat Noir]: "Don't worry about it. We were just over here helping some people with hero stuff. Then we saw you over here sitting in the middle of the street. Want to tell me how you got here?" [to Boy]

[Boy]: "Who's she [Newcomer]?"

[Chat]: "Why, that's me and Ladybug's new partner. [beckons to Newcomer] Come on, introduce yourself."

[Newcomer]: "Hi, I'm Rena Rouge. I'm going to be working with Ladybug and Chat Noir from now on."

After that snippet of the recorded conversation, Chat continued to talk with and console the boy, and Ladybug and the newcomer, revealed to be Rena Rouge, walked off together and were seen talking. Soon, Chat joined them again and conversed shortly with Rena Rouge before leaving the scene, quickly followed by both Ladybug and Rena Rouge.

So who is Rena Rouge? According to her, she is a new superhero that will be joining Ladybug and Chat Noir, aiding with their akuma fights and such.

I know this topic will come as a shock to some of you because you never imagined in a million years that someone new would become a superhero. I was the same until I became used to the idea. For as long as we've seen akumas and been aware of Hawkmoth's presence, Ladybug and Chat Noir have always been there to fight for us. Rarely would you see one without the other and previously, it would've been _unheard_ of for them to be working with someone else.

This new development of a new superhero means many things. It signifies a turning point for Ladybug and Chat Noir, an admission or acknowledgement that their, _our_ enemy is getting stronger. Because they added a teammate _now_ , it means they know it is what is best for Paris. The appearance of a new hero also means that things will be much different. We all are familiar with Chat Noir and Ladybug. What they fight for and what powers they possess. Destruction and creation are the balanced forces we have grown to understand as we watch them weaponized for the purpose of fighting evil. Rena Rouge, however, adds something completely new to the mix. We can't assume anything yet, but just as Chat Noir and Ladybug bring their own talents and views to the table, so must she. It is unrealistic to assume things will be the exact same as it has been with just Chat and Ladybug.

Something else I would like to mention, but am hardly qualified to write in depth about is the matter of magic. It is no secret that Ladybug and Chat Noir each possess sorts of magical abilities. Even if you didn't believe that when they first began became public, nobody can deny that they things they do can't possibly happen in the scientific world. There is no way Ladybug's 'Lucky Charm' and 'Miraculous Ladybug' have technological explanations. Something is giving them powers. The same can be assumed for Hawkmoth.

The reason why Rena Rouge and her appearance tie into this is because it is likely that she will be able to tap into magical resources as well. If she really is like Ladybug and Chat Noir, she will have some sort of power. This is so important because she is just now appearing, and siding with Chat and Ladybug too. Rena had to have got her powers from somewhere, something, or someone recently (because I personally doubt she would wait this long if she was planning to side with the heroes), meaning that their magic cannot be considered something lowbrow, if one could even say such a thing about magic. Because more magic has been shown to us, it is likely there is more of it. Somewhere or somehow.

Like I said before, I am totally unqualified to be talking about magic, the rules it follows, or how it comes to be. All I know is that there are more powerful and unknown forces involved in this conflict than we understand. Rena Rouge proves this.

I would like to apologize that this article isn't as unbiased and straightforward as I try to keep my information, but for this particular subject, I felt it would be better to keep it personal. This is not something to be passive about. Please leave a comment below sharing your thoughts, ideas, and opinions. This page is for you and all of Paris. Message me directly if you would like to further chat about this. I am always listening to you guys. And, as always, I would like to thank Ladybug, Chat Noir, and (?) Rena Rouge for protecting our city. As always, as you continue to be there for us, all of Paris will be there for you.

* * *

Marinette scanned over the last few lines, her brain spinning as she processed everything Alya had written. Marinette knew she told her to report on Rena Rouge as to not incite suspicion, but she wasn't expecting Alya to bring up all she had.

Hawkmoth, their powers, a change.

Rena Rouge.

Marinette smiled to herself. Alya really knew what she was doing.

After reading this article, nobody would question the new heroine again. It was genuine, informative, and most importantly, it came from a trusted source. Alya knew her influence and used it.

People trusted her. Agreed with her.

Marinette read that last line again

"As you continue to be there for us-"

…

Alya signed every article she posted with that sentence. Stating her and Paris's support for their heroes. If they continued to support them.

Marinette swore to herself. She _would_. Marinette would never let Paris down. She would never endanger a civilian. She would never expose herself to Hawkmoth. She would _protect_ everyone, become the hero they needed.

Ladybug would be perfect.

And they would watch her and say 'There's Ladybug. There's our hero.'

And they would be there for her.

And they would love her.

Marinette turned off her computer and walked over to her bed. Stretching out, she let herself think of all the bad things. Of Hawkmoth. Of losing Alya. Of losing Chat Noir.

She let herself think.

And she let it all go.

Because no matter what happened, Marinette knew that ultimately nothing was as important to her as her city. Nothing mattered more than Paris's belief in her.

Because Ladybug could keep them safe.

No matter what.

Even if Hawkmoth managed to take hold of one of her teammates, even if he became too strong. Even if Alya and the Ladyblog turned on her. Even if Chat Noir decided that he was done following her, was done following the rules, was done being her friend…

Ladybug would always find a way to fix it. She always did.

 _It's who I am._

Right?


	18. Chapter 17

Gabriel's perspective:

He had to admit, the article was _very_ well done. The friendly and genuine style was effective, especially since the article's purpose was obviously to make the city like this new hero. It was written well.

One thing, however, that Gabriel wasn't so fond of was how this blogger portrayed Ladybug and Chat Noir. Protectors of Paris? He sighed. What the city didn't understand was that they weren't doing this for them. No, Ladybug and Chat Noir fought for one reason only: their miraculous. If they really wanted to protect Paris, they would give in to Hawkmoth and surrender their miraculous. If Hawkmoth wanted the city destroyed, he would _do_ it.

They had it all wrong.

Gabriel sighed and closed his computer.

The city loved to paint him as the typical comic-book villain. It was unbelievable what the words of two teenagers in spandex automatically did to his reputation. What reason would Hawkmoth have for destroying his own city? God, sometimes people didn't _think_.

He wasn't the villain here. Nobody was. This was a fight for strength. Not some petty fight between good and evil.

…

So… He wasn't out to destroy Paris.

On the contrary, really. He quite liked Paris. It was beautiful and busy, the perfect example of a city. It was a good place to raise a son and was a _great_ place to design fashion. No, it wasn't Paris's downfall Gabriel wanted.

It was power.

Gabriel looked down at his chest and clasped his hand over his butterfly pin. Even knowing the wonders it held, Gabriel couldn't feel anything out of the ordinary about it. It was metal, it was symmetrical, it was _boring_. The fact that anything so powerful could, in any way, feel _boring_ felt so _wrong_ to Gabriel. There should be _some sign_. Some unmistakable aura, or anything of the like, that told of what it could do.

But it just sat there… Shiny, stylish, like everything else Gabriel Agreste owned.

Sometimes he was grateful for that.

Grateful that it's presence did not draw any attention. Grateful that no one had asked him about it. Grateful that nobody had discovered his secret.

Shame how nobody really notices something until they're forced to. Until they turn their backs and their ignorance comes to stab them.

This pin was the most important thing Gabriel owned. Not because it was rare, not because of the kwami that unfortunately came with it.

It gave him something nothing else could. Hope.

Hope for the one thing _he_ wanted: Emilie

And the only thing that could get her back was power. His, while strong and growing stronger could never bring her back alone. It wasn't what his miraculous was made for. Hawkmoth could control people, could get into their minds. The peacock miraculous that he kept hidden away… that wouldn't help either. He couldn't…

He couldn't… He couldn't fix Emilie.

…

For that, he needed more _power_. And few things had more power than what Hawkmoth already possessed.

For bringing her back...

Only one thing could do that. Or more specifically, two. The black cat and ladybug miraculous. The miraculous of destruction and creation. The two most powerful objects existing. Their power combined… it was what he needed. And the only way to get them was by using his own power, from his miraculous, to defeat the holders.

The only way he could get them was through fighting Ladybug and Chat Noir.

…

Or at least, it had been. Gabriel smirked.

Very interesting article he had just read. Even more so was the attached video. Gabriel was surprised someone had managed to get such good footage. A whole new superhero. Who would've guessed? Rena Rouge sure was making a big splash. Gabriel wasn't upset about her in the slightest. In fact, if he played his cards right, her appearance could help him.

For starters, she had told him that there was a guardian nearby. The Ladyblog reporter had been right. Someone _was_ supplying the miraculous, supplying the heroes' magic. Now Gabriel knew that they were still in Paris.

Oh, but that was not all. The perks of the new superhero went beyond the obvious.

He opened his phone to a screenshot he had taken while watching the video. Eyes glued on the other heroes, Rena stood to the side.

Rena Rouge seemed very… what was the word? Silent? Aware? There was something in the way she held herself, in the way she moved, that told Gabriel that she was suited to the Fox miraculous. He should be able to tell, he'd visited enough minds to recognize the driving force of most people. Ladybug obviously wanted the city's attention, and Chat Noir wanted Ladybug's But Rena… She stayed quiet when no one addressed her, but was always paying attention. Always listening. Rena didn't want _anybody's_ attention. She would be someone who plotted and schemed instead of openly attacking someone. This wasn't an evil trait, to be clear. Many heroes got far by biding their time or by spying on their enemies. It wasn't wrong to give yourself the best possible chance. If she decided she wanted to, later on in her career, Rena could be a real threat to Hawkmoth and his plans.

She was, to put it simply, what most Parisians thought Chat Noir to be. Sure they loved him and supported what he did, but nearly all of them seemed to think he was more secretive and dark than he was. Gabriel guessed it was the costume. The poor sap was dressed in black leather, a staple for the cliche bad boy. It wasn't his fault. Gabriel knew better, however, than most Parisians. Chat Noir was stubbornly loyal and chivalrous. He had learned that the hard way. Gabriel could still remember the look on his face when he had sent the akuma Howler to take his miraculous. Chat Noir hadn't been afraid, hadn't held back to assess the situation. He just charged, which, Gabriel couldn't say ended too well for him, but alas. The boy wasn't the type to hide in the shadows.

When he looked at Rena, though… something in his mind clicked. He recognized the look in her eyes. The hunger in them as they looked around and took information in. Who knew if Ladybug could see it. Who knew if Paris could see it. The only important thing was that Gabriel could. And he wouldn't let it go to waste. The ability to _observe_ was lost on most people. Not on him. Not on Rena.

The beautifully written article has accomplished exactly what it was supposed to. Rena Rouge had been painted in a good light from one of the most respected Ladybug news sources in the city. People were going to trust her, love her even.

It would be foolish for Hawkmoth to let this opportunity go to waste.

Gabriel could use this new hero. He doubted she would consent to working with him considering how she sided with Ladybug and Chat Noir. Maybe once she realized what he wanted, but there wasn't a good chance of that.

Most likely, Gabriel would just have to nudge her in the right direction. There were so many things that Rena Rouge could do for him. She could help him discover Ladybug's or Chat Noir's identities. She was new to the superhero life, and unlike when Ladybug and Chat had been, Hawkmoth was used to this game. Instead of two rookies pitted against each other, it would be him, a seasoned player and growing stronger, against her, someone who barely knew what they were doing. It was perfect and nearly foolproof. She would be easy to dupe, almost like taking candy from a baby.

If Gabriel could get her to try to figure out her teammates' identities, he was sure she could. It was obviously her nature, to investigate, to watch. To hunt. And once she figured it out, Gabriel could learn from her. Everything would be simple from there on. And then he could track down Ladybug and Chat Noir down, take their miraculous, and get his wife back. He would even let Rena keep her miraculous! It's not like she would bother him again. After Gabriel reached his goal, he had no desire to continue to be Hawkmoth. He was getting too old to fight these young kids, even if he was only the mind behind everything. After he had Emilie, Hawkmoth would essentially disappear. No trace for Rena, or whoever Ladybug and Chat Noir happened to be, to follow him by.

Gabriel would be able to enjoy a peaceful life. With his son and his wife. Gabriel could be happy.

…

He wasn't getting very far on his own. Sure he had been getting stronger, but that path to success was slow going. Gabriel was worried that the longer he waited, the harder it would be to bring her back. He had to take the quickest option.

And the quickest option was Rena Rouge. He supposed he should feel bad using some girl who was just trying to help her idols. But he didn't. Gabriel knew his goals were more important than hers. That was just how it was.

But first…

He had to figure out who Rena was.

…

Alya's perspective:

Alya absent-mindedly scrolled through the comments appearing under her article. Most were surprised, all were positive. She supposed she should be happy. She had successfully earned Paris's trust. They would trust Rena now. That was what Ladybug wanted. What _Alya_ wanted.

But as much as she wanted to let herself drown in the internet's praises, she found she couldn't ignore the thoughts pounding in her head. As always, Alya couldn't stifle her instincts. She was sure she knew Chat. Sure with every fiber of her being. And she couldn't really be expected to _ignore_ that _could_ she?

…

Alya… Alya didn't know what she wanted…

But she knew what _Ladybug_ wanted. She wanted for her and Chat Noir to be okay. For some reason, right now, they weren't. And it was affecting both of them. Alya could tell.

And if that was what Ladybug wanted, Alya could make it what she wanted, too. Because Ladybug was important. Ladybug was going to save them all. Anything Alya could do for her, she would do in a heartbeat.

So she had to make Ladybug happy.

And the only way to do that was to fix her relationship with Chat Noir.

And the only way to do that would be to talk to him…

…

And if she happened to _know_ him…

…

Alya supposed she didn't have to figure out his civilian form to talk to him… But… some part of her wanted to know so _bad_. It was horrible, she knew. Ladybug had explained why none of them could know each other's identities. But Alya had been chasing after the duo for _so long_. Reporting about them for _forever_.

And the fact that she _knew_ him… It was too much.

Alya had to know.

…

For _Ladybug's_ sake as much as her own…

She had to figure out who Chat was.

…

Adrien's perspective:

The article was good. Alya had done a good job with it. Nothing Adrien hadn't seen before though… He closed his tab.

He had other things on his mind.

He wasn't worried about Alya. Nobody had figured out who he was in the time he had been Chat Noir. No matter how good she was at finding a story, his identity was different. Yes, she was smart.

But when it's impossible to figure out something, the smart person and the stupid get the same results:

Nothing.

And for Alya, it was quite impossible. Adrien was careful about how he acted as Chat Noir and he was going to be putting _extra_ care into how he came across for a couple months at _least_. So no. He wasn't worried.

Alya had warned Adrien she was onto him. Because of that, she'd never find her answer.

Adrien was glad he didn't make the same mistake.

… _Oh, wait._

He had.

…

Adrien had almost forgotten about last night. How? He wasn't sure. He was probably overwhelmed.

These past few days really had been quite the shitshow.

Last night…

Alya, the Louvre, Ladybug…

Well you know what, screw what he said. Impossible his ass. Adrien wasn't going to find nothing. That… that wasn't an option.

Adrien frowned.

He couldn't focus on the article because he had bigger things to worry about.

He had to figure out who Ladybug was.

…

Marinette's perspective:

Marinette's head hurt. How had everything gotten so out of hand?

Hawkmoth was growing more powerful by the day.

Chat Noir seemed more distant than ever. He didn't think she could tell, but she could.

Alya was being forced into something that Marinette wished she wasn't.

Paris was suffering under the strain of a war they could do nothing about.

…

Marinette… She was just struggling to make everything okay.

…

She didn't know why things had gotten so screwed up. She wondered how she came to be sitting at her computer at midnight on a school night, reading an article about how Ladybug had to recruit a new superhero because she needed the help, and worrying about her _other_ partner drifting away.

…

Maybe it hadn't started tonight.

Maybe… maybe things got all messed up today when Rena walked over to Chat Noir and said she knew him.

Maybe it was last night when Marinette found out she wasn't as untouchable as she thought she was.

Maybe it happened when Marinette made the decision to recruit Alya because Chat Noir wasn't treating her as _perfectly_ as he always did because what was someone else's life in comparison to Ladybug's friendships?

 _Maybe_ it was that night that Chat had stared her in the eyes and _kissed_ her, erasing their sibling-like relationship forever.

…

Maybe it was all those months ago when Howler attacked and Ladybug and Chat Noir felt for the first time ever, that _maybe_ , they couldn't keep winning forever.

Whatever it was, whatever it had been.

Things were screwed up now.

…

Marinette had to…

She had to figure out how to fix everything.


	19. Chapter 18

Marinette's perspective:

Mari looked at her phone to read the time. It was 10 p.m.. Enough time to go out. Enough time to clear her head.

God knew she needed it.

…

Not that Marinette believed in God... Maybe she had when she was younger, Mari couldn't remember. She didn't even believe in her mother's gods… Marinette just couldn't believe now. She had seen too much of the world for that.

She knew there couldn't possibly be a God. Her and Chat's powers reminded Marinette. Creation and destruction… Unfathomable powers held by two teenagers. If _they_ controlled those, what other power could God possibly hold?

…

Marinette shook her head. She had to- she had to rearrange her thoughts. Her head was pounding and she just couldn't- she just couldn't _think_.

What to do, what to do…

What _could_ she do?

Marinette looked down at her own hands.

She had put everyone into these situations. But what if-

What if she couldn't get them out?

She was just a girl sitting in her bedroom.

She had powers, but what good had those been at solving her problems so far?

Power didn't make you a god.

Didn't make you a hero.

Hawkmoth was still out there. And growing _stronger_. Marinette felt like she never got stronger…

What had her powers done when she had to face Chat Noir again?

Her powers meant _nothing_. Absolutely nothing, and yet, all of Paris acted like they made Ladybug into some kind of hero.

Marinette wanted _so_ _badly_ to be _half_ the person they thought she was.

She wanted so badly to be the person Paris needed. Because that person really was _needed_.

…

Marinette remembered how her city had been before Hawkmoth appeared. Of course she did. It wasn't that long ago… though sometimes it seemed like forever.

Paris was such a lovely place. The people were friendly, the buildings were _gorgeous_ , and the _fashion_. It was warm and nice and _home_.

When Hawkmoth came… None of that exactly changed. But people forgot. All the bad things outshined the good.

Now, Marinette supposed, most Parisians had started to remember the good things again. Hawkmoth continued to be defeated by Ladybug and Chat Noir. For them, everything was perfect again and the civilians could enjoy a safe and happy life.

But Marinette wouldn't know… She worried Paris would never be what it once was to her. Sure, her loyalty and love towards her city had grown tremendously after becoming Ladybug, but never again, it seemed, would she be able to appreciate it like she once did. Paris had once meant safety, home, to Marinette. It felt like she was a tiny moving part in the machine that made the city run. Nowadays, it felt like she _was_ the machine.

She threw her phone onto her bed and called out for Tikki. The kwami was resting on one of the pillows on Marinette's lounge chair. At her voice, Tikki looked up.

"We're going out?" She asked.

Tikki knew better than to ask why as Marinette nodded her head, obviously sensing that Marinette had stuff she needed to work through.

"Let's go then," Tikki said.

Marinette smiled gratefully. "Tikki, spots on."

* * *

Her legs pulled her across the city's rooftops. Pushing her faster and faster. Almost as if they wanted to run away and leave her, and all her problems. Ladybug didn't blame them.

She wanted to leave her problems behind too.

The wind was nice. Loud in her ears. It drowned out the bad thoughts, the worries, the stress.

It washed everything away.

Until all Ladybug was left with was the city streets and her feet, carrying her through them.

She was glad she had decided to come out tonight.

The fresh air was good for her and her mind was clear.

It felt good to be alone. No Chat Noir, no Rena Rouge. No Hawkmoth. Just Ladybug.

She let herself enjoy the peace for a moment before slowing atop a particularly high roof.

…

She shook her head, hard.

Ladybug couldn't allow her worries to wash away.

Couldn't just watch herself indulge in the peace.

Observation had told her that emptiness was a dangerous drug: momentarily erasing all the bad things, but fixing none of them.

She knew it was true. Both things. Ladybug was aware enough to know that.

…

Because ignoring something didn't make it go away. She was past being that naive.

Her problem with Chat wouldn't solve itself if she left it alone. Alya wouldn't be safe if Ladybug didn't make sure of it. They wouldn't beat Hawkmoth if Ladybug refused to acknowledge him as a threat.

Paris would never be safe unless Ladybug made it.

That scared her the most.

That was what made her want to erase her head, her thoughts.

…

She couldn't though.

She put one foot forward on the side of the roof she was standing on and leaned so she could look over the edge. The ground taunted her.

She didn't listen.

Ladybug started to move again, leaping to another building and gaining momentum as she soared across the rooftops once more. She felt the wind and heard the silence in its roar.

But she didn't let her thoughts disappear.

Ladybug moved faster and faster until the city below her was a blur and the wind left her deaf

Faster and faster until the only thing she felt were the thoughts hammering inside of her head. Thoughts she couldn't, _wouldn't_ , let go of.

Until she couldn't tell if she was flying or not. Couldn't tell if she hadn't sprouted wings right then and taken off into the sky.

In that moment, Ladybug felt like a God.

…

She blamed her atheism as she stumbled, the city reminding her that she wasn't. Reminding her that she couldn't be further.

…

She hit the rooftop with her knees as she fell down, scraping them against the concrete.

Everything was so messed up.

And Ladybug _wanted_ to fix everything.

So much.

…

But she _couldn't_.

…

She just…

Couldn't.

Ladybug's face scrunched up and she could feel pressure behind her eyes. She tried to stop the tears from running down her face, and she succeeded, but only for a second.

A single tear. Rolling out onto an eyelash and then falling down onto her mask. Just one, but it was enough. More followed.

Ladybug ducked down, ashamed, but she couldn't seem to stop the tears streaming down her face. She pulled her aching knees to her chest and hid her face in them.

Nobody was around her, she knew. But Paris was. The city was. And it seemed to notice everything Ladybug did.

They saw so much of her life.

But Ladybug would be damned if she let them see her cry.

Goddamn it, she was a _hero_. Someone that children said they wanted to _be_ when they grew up. She was meant to inspire and encourage.

And here she was _crying_.

He- Heroes… Heroes weren't meant to cry.

Not when they had the power to fight back. Not when they could actually _fix_ whatever problems appeared.

Heroes were brave.

…

She sat there for a long while. Waiting.

She didn't exactly know what for: to stop crying, for her transformation to wear off, for the sun to come up. Or maybe for her to stop being such a loser. For her to be the person she wanted to be.

Ladybug blinked up at the night sky. Her arms were sore and her eyes were puffy.

She wiped her face off and stood up. The wind was calmer now and some of the lights had been put out.

She supposed she should head home. It was probably late and she had school tomorrow. Ladybug sighed and looked up at the moon (the city's light blocked the stars'). The pale light was comforting in a strange sort of way. Something that she had complete certainty would never change.

It seemed everything in her life _had_ changed.

She wasn't a big fan of change.

Ladybug smiled sadly to herself and looked back down at the building she was standing on.

It was a silly thing to be afraid of. Change.

She supposed the opposite was true as well. Fear of things staying the same.

…

Hell, fear in general was stupid. It was weak. It made her unreliable.

 **Fuck fear.**

…

Fear hadn't gotten Ladybug anywhere. She was always so _cautious_ and always thought things through… She overthought things and worried excessively.

Worried about Chat.

Worried about Alya.

Worried about Paris…

…

Screw that.

She looked from side to side, looking out into her city.

The war she was fighting could only be won by willpower. Power, itself, was an important factor, but the wielder would always be number one.

Ladybug had to work on herself.

She had to- had to fix her _mind_.

Somehow, she was doing something wrong. She wasn't sure yet, but it was obvious that what Ladybug did and how she reacted, it was not working.

She needed to change her mindset.

Instead of worrying, Ladybug knew that instead, she had to start _acting_.

…

Suddenly, Ladybug yawned, bringing her thoughts back to the ground... She _really_ should be heading home. It wasn't good to be out after dark. Superhero or not.

And so Ladybug started on her way, not because she particularly wanted to, but more because she knew it was best. And that came first.

The city was so calm and the night so peaceful that she almost forgot to be on the lookout.

…

Ladybug had been so close to forgetting about her pursuer the other night. Close. But she hadn't.

She couldn't afford to.

…

But… you know.

She could remember it, but that didn't mean she had to be scared of them.

 _Yes,_

 _ **Exactly**_.

She didn't have to be, shouldn't be afraid. Of anyone. Of anything.

She was _Ladybug_ , a hero. She needed to act like it.

 _First step to becoming fearless, to becoming heroic: don't worry over things you can't control._

Yes… That was a good first step. Ladybug had heard that one a lot. That there was no point worrying about things you have no power over. And if people kept saying it, some part of it, at least, had to be true.

And, if she was being honest, she really didn't have much control over people following her.

You know what?

If Ladybug saw that same guy again, she would give him a piece of her mind.

Screw this gentle front. A hero should be unflinching and aware. Should know how to serve justice. If she saw that person again, he would be in for one _major_ ass beating.

Alright…

 _Let's go._

…

The whole way home, not once did Ladybug look over her shoulder or loop around a block.

She was done running from people who wanted to know her identity.

She was ready to fight them.

Ladybug ran from building to building, _daring_ someone to come up to her. Daring someone to chase her.

And it felt amazing.

For the first time in what felt like years, Ladybug went straight back to her house. She went directly there… She was giving up worry, and god did it feel good.

She was ready to fight for what she wanted. Ready to fight for her freedom, for Rena, for Paris. She was ready to fight for Chat.

And maybe… maybe things would turn out okay…

* * *

Marinette reached for her phone to check her notifications as soon as she slipped through her window. She hoped that nobody had tried to contact her while she was out. Not that anyone beside Alya ever did…

And Alya would have her hands full tonight answering comments and talking about theories with her fans.

At first, Marinette was surprised to have a notification. It was from the Ladyblog. She clicked wondering what else Alya had to say about her. Her obsession really ran deep didn't it.

It was an update...

Those were when Alya posted about Ladybug and Chat Noir sightings.

…

Marinette was a bit surprised.

Alya usually didn't post so quickly about their locations, even if she spotted them out. Marinette had always thought it had been about respecting the heroes' privacy.

Maybe this update was about Chat Noir.

Marinette clicked on it.

Nope.

Her.

Alya had posted almost exactly the time she left.

Marinette threw her phone at her bed,

It always was about her, wasn't it…

She shouldn't be surprised, shouldn't be disappointed. And yet…

Marinette wondered if she could really become the badass heroine she wanted to be. The one that Paris worshipped.

She hadn't exactly wanted this. Hadn't wanted to become one of the city's only heroes. Hell, she was in _high school_. She had _homework_. During the free time she _did_ have, instead of going out with boys or shopping or going to the moves, Marinette had to spend her time patrolling or fighting akumas.

She… she wasn't mad. Marinette _liked_ being Ladybug, she really did.

It's just that sometimes she worried that Paris had put her on a pedestal. Worried that they believed her to be more than she was.

It scared her knowing that all of Paris trusted _her_ , a _teenager_ , with their _lives_.

Before, she tried to run from that responsibility or told herself they would get over her. But it had been around two years and no one had.

They weren't going to stop believing in her were they? No they weren't.

Marinette felt, for the first time in her career, that she was ready to actually become what the people wanted. Not satisfied with merely surviving. Someone who would _win_ the war.

She… She was ready.

She didn't want to keep being Ladybug? _Fine_. She would fight Hawkmoth, and fight for her city. She would _finish_ her job.

Ready to finally protect Paris and her friends like she never had before. Finally ready to confront Chat Noir about their relationship, what it was, and stop avoiding the topic.

Marinette wasn't going to be a coward anymore.

She was going to try to be a hero.

She _really_ hoped she could.


	20. Chapter 19

Adrien's perspective:

Adrien rolled over in bed, phone in hand.

10 p.m….

What was he supposed to do with himself?

…

Adrien hadn't been sleeping well and his body was growing used to it. So he wouldn't be able to fall asleep for at _least_ three hours… And he really didn't want to spend his time thinking about Alya. Or anyone.

Figures…

He actually _wanted_ to sleep, for the first time in, what? Months? And now he _couldn't._ Damn it.

Adrien was just so exhausted by his head. Alya this, Hawkmoth that.'

And Ladybug…

He shook his head.

 _Stop thinking about her! The sooner you relax, the sooner (maybe) you'll be able to fall asleep and the more energy you'll have when you actually get to see her._

That's how sleep worked, right?

You relaxed and your body just naturally shut itself down…?

…

He kind of understood why he'd never liked sleeping all that much before. He didn't like to _relax_. Not even that, he just didn't like to let go of his thoughts. Adrien could lie still in his bed for hours, just thinking.

But, damn it, not tonight. Tonight he wanted to _sleep_.

…

Ugh… this was so _boring_. So uneventful. It was a _thousand_ times better to wait until you drop down, exhausted. Better to keep yourself busy. Because this _waiting to fall asleep_ … It was so… _useless_.

He wanted to be out there finding Ladybug right now.

But the best, and maybe only, way that he was going to do that was by getting sleep. Last time, he failed. He wasn't as alert and aware as he should've been. Adrien knew that. Sleep was supposed to fix that, wasn't it?

Adrien checked his phone again. 10:05. He wasn't even sure bodies _could_ fall asleep this early… All the highschoolers he knew stayed up to midnight regularly... That might just be a lifestyle choice though… Like him.

No wait! He was pretty sure that Marinette went to bed pretty early. She seemed like the type… Then again, he didn't really know.

 _Ugh_.

This was such a chore.

But if sleeping got him what he needed, it was worth it. Ladybug was worth it.

She was.

Adrien put his phone on a table beside his bed so it wouldn't distract him.

Hmm. What would make Adrien tired?

Thinking of school? No. Adrien liked school. At least, he liked it more than literally everyone he went to school with.

Thinking of photoshoots? Okay, yeah. That would tire him out. He really hated photoshoots… Not sure if it would exactly put him to _sleep_ sleep though.

Maybe he should, dunno, count sheep or something. That was a thing wasn't it? Yeah. It was. Adrien was almost positive.

 _Okay, here I go_.

One.

Two.

Three. Four. Five.

Six. Seven Eight.

Nine. 10. 11. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 18 19 20 21222324252627282930-

Ok. Not working.

Adrien sighed.

This was so _stupid._

Why was he having such a hard time _sleeping?_

Adrien heard his phone vibrate (it was on silent) from the table it sat on a few feet away. Ugh. The one time Adrien _didn't_ need a distraction from sleep…

Sighing, Adrien reached his arm out away from his bed, resigned. If he ignored the notification, he would just end up checking it later that night, and that wouldn't exactly help him either. Would it?

He grabbed his phone from the side table and lazily read the notification. It was from the Ladyblog (interesting) and Alya had apparently distracted Adrien from sleep for-

 _What?_

Adrien instandly sat straight up and turned up his phone's brightness.

 _No way_. _No. Way._

…

But there it was: a Ladyblog update. And since Adrien was right here in bed, that could only mean…

Adrien couldn't help the small laugh he made. This was _unbelievable._ It wasn't an old sighting from earlier either, like Alya usually posted.

He read it again.

"Ladybug spotted roaming the city right after 10 P.M."

Adrien couldn't remember the last time Alya had updated so soon.

Who cared?

Adrien had what he wanted and he wouldn't need to sleep to be able to do it well. He hopped up out of bed and called out for Plagg.

The dark little monster yawned from the other side of the room where he was reading some old comic of Adrien's. "What?"

Adrien waved his phone in the air, barely able to stay calm. " _We're going out._ "

Plagg squinted at the phone. "Why on earth-" he flew closer. As soon as he was able to make out the words, he glanced back at Adrien. "Are you sure this is a good idea? Wouldn't you just rather, I dunno, go to sleep? Sleep sounds great, doesn't it?"

Adrien couldn't believe his luck. Out of all the times that Ladybug could've gone out into the city and Alya could've seen it, it happened _now_. He wasn't about to waste his opportunity.

Adrien narrowed his eyes. "Plagg, we're going out. I'm not taking no for an answer."

Plagg sighed. "You never do…" He turned and flew back to his comic where he folded the page (much to Adrien's horror) to mark his spot and closed the book. "I'm going to be honest, Adrien. I don't want to go out and stalk your partner at night like some kind of creep. Before you do anything rash, just know that some secrets aren't meant to be discovered. I know you want to find out who Ladybug is under the mask, but, kid, I'm telling you that knowing won't solve any of your problems. And you don't really want to get into another tussle with Ladybug, do you?"

"Plagg, you've said all of this before. I'm not changing my mind,'

"You saw how she was today!" When you went to fight Rubik's cube. She was _jumpy_. When is Ladybug ever _jumpy_? It was because of _you_. Because you snuck up on her and tried to follow her. Remember how distressed she looked today? She doesn't want anyone to know…" Plagg stared Adrien in the eye. "I think you should respect that."

…

"Plagg, what you don't seem to understand is that Ladybug doesn't know what she wants or doesn't want! That's the whole point of learning her identity! So I can help her figure out what she really wants, because I _know_ that something is up with her. And it all stems from that guy she likes. That's why I'm doing this! So spare me all the talk about how I'm being disrespectful and disobeying her wishes! I refuse to sit back and watch her be influenced by something that is obviously harmful to her. Call this intrusive or invasive. I call it an intervention. I call it a rescue."

"... You're going to regret this."

Adrien looked at Plagg who was looking at the ground. He wasn't as spirited as he usually was. He looked almost… dejected. Usually, the arguments lasted a lot longer…

Maybe he was tired. Adrien knew _he_ was.

But he wasn't going to give up.

"Let's go, Plagg."

* * *

It was windy. Kind of loud, but nice.

It had been a while since Chat had enjoyed a night out like this. Things had been… overwhelming lately. With any luck, this would be the night he finally ended all that. Or at least, maybe he would make the first step.

He narrowed his eyes into the darkness, forcing them to adapt. Alya's update hadn't said where Ladybug was, which was strange, but he would just have to deal with that.

He didn't exactly _want_ to think of it as a game of cat and mouse, but that was what it was, wasn't it? Except, he wasn't going to eat her when he caught her…

… God… No. That sounded so bad and just _creepy_ and **wrong**.

Ok, so _not_ like a game of cat and mouse.

…

Hide and seek? No, still creep territory.

Tag? Not exactly what he was doing, but better than his other options…

 _What am I doing?_

 _Chat, focus._

He looked around, trying to think again. Where would Ladybug be?

Where could she be that Alya had seen her?

… No, that wasn't helpful… Alya was a superhero now, she could go anywhere in virtually no time. Also, it was kind of her civilian job to report on Ladybug. She would be looking for Ladybug too, which meant she wouldn't necessarily be somewhere she would normally.

Anything else?

Chat was pretty confident she wouldn't be at her and Chat's usual meeting spot. It didn't feel _right_ to be there alone… Chat could speak from experience. Plus, it wasn't like she was exactly trying to see him… So she would avoid their roof...

 _Oh._

Last night (had it really only been last night), Ladybug had been heading home before Chat alerted her to his presence. She had changed her direction when that happened. The direction she was heading initially... She was probably in that way.

Feeling smart for once, Chat set off into the night, instinctively hugging the shadows.

Some lights were on and lots of people were outside, but as Chat moved, it all faded into the background. The wind became _loud_. Much louder than before. It was… nice. Chat liked how it blocked everything out. He decided he enjoyed it.

After only a few minutes, Chat was outside Alya's building. He racked his memory, trying to remember which way Ladybug had gone after she had left last night. He traced his own steps to a bush he had hid behind. In his mind, he pictured Ladybug climbing out Alya's window.

Her phantom form hopped from window sill to window sill before landing on the ground. Chat made a move as to follow her, but her head snapped over to his hiding space. Chat froze in place until Ladybug turned away from him and shook her head before going…

Chat felt his eyes go back into focus. That way! That's where she had gone. He grinned and followed his memory of her, much like he had last night. Tonight, however, they walked side by side to go find Ladybug. As it should be.

Somewhere along the way, though, Ladybug started to fade. No, that wasn't the right word… She was still _there_ , she just wasn't next to him anymore?

Somewhere along the way, they had become one. Chat smiled.

…

The roofs were as empty as they always were. Not really what he wanted seeing as he was trying to find Ladybug, but now that Chat had company, even if it was only an extension of himself, he was content.

He continued in his direction, starting to recognize city features as he went. This direction was where the park that he, no _Adrien_ , hung out with his friends. It was where Marinette lived. It was where Adrien went to school. It was familiar.

And also irritatingly silent.

Where was she?

Chat felt his patience wash away so quickly, he wasn't sure he could call it patience in the first place.

Contentedness? Who was he kidding.

Chat growled into the night and squinted around.

 _If she isn't here…_

Chat shook.

 _I have no idea where she could be._

If she wasn't here, Chat would have wasted his time.

Wanting that to not be the case, Chat ran around some more, frantically.

…

 _There_.

Chat saw her silhouette on a far away rooftop. She was heading away from where Chat was standing now. Chat felt his breath knocked out of his lungs.

Her hair blew out behind her and her suit, now that Chat had actually spotted her, seemed to stand out against the black backdrop of the sky.

She was here.

The wave of relief that hit Chat Noir was overwhelming. She was here. He had- he had _found_ her…

His breath caught in his throat for a second and Chat forgot he was supposed to be staying hidden. He took a couple of shaky steps forward, letting a streetlight illuminate him for all to see. He didn't care. All he cared about was her. And _them_.

Chat shook his head and tried to knock sense into himself, stepping back into the shadows. He would fail completely if he let Ladybug see him.

Luckily, it didn't look like she had. She was facing away from him and running farther away-

Oh shoot.

Chat scrambled on his building as he sprung forward, not ready to lose her as soon as he had found her…

 _He had found her._

She was maybe 200 meters away, if Chat's memory of a 'meter' was correct (it had been a long week). He was determined not to let her leave his sight.

He was here for a reason, and that reason was not to simply gawk at her all night…

This was actually happening… He had found her. He wasn't going to get caught.

He was going to do it.

He had to catch up with her first, though.

Chat leapt onto the next building, letting his own momentum build. She wasn't exactly moving all that fast so it wasn't difficult to situate himself at a good speed.

It felt… strange to be following Ladybug without her knowing. Not _uncomfortable_ , just _unfamiliar_.

It also felt strange to just _be out_. Felt weird to have tracked Ladybug down based off of his phone and his memory. Felt off to be watching her at night…

Now that Chat thought about it… he wasn't actually sure _why_ Ladybug was out here. He guessed when he had first seen the update, that maybe she was patrolling. But it was obvious now that he was watching her, that she was not.

Ladybug wasn't usually out just to be _out_ as much as Chat was, or, used to be.

Why- why now?

His feet carried him behind her. Never close, but never far. He wasn't sure where she was headed. Wasn't sure if she was even headed somewhere.

All he knew was that she kept running and he kept following.

She kept running…

…

Until she slowed.

…

Chat watched as Ladybug stopped. She just… stopped moving. She stood on one of the tallest buildings around them.

Chat made his own feet slow him down and stop his body, mirroring hers from behind.

She- She _stood_ there… and shook her head, hard, as if trying to shake something off.

Chat watched her, captivated.

What was she doing…?

Her body stood rigid above his and Chat managed to get a glimpse of her face. Of course, she was wearing her mask, but he had learned to read every part of her face, every expression, over their partnership.

And her face…

Ladybug- She seemed… different. Lost?

Chat's face fell.

What- what was wrong?

Because something obviously had to be wrong. And therefore, something obviously wasn't right.

It didn't sit right with him.

It didn't- didn't seem like his Ladybug…

 _Because it isn't_ … _That's the whole point of this._ _ **Remember, Chat?**_

He had to remember that. Had to remember what he was doing and who he was doing it for.

Chat looked at Ladybug's still silhouette. _Who he was doing it for..._

Ladybug took a few small steps forward towards the edge, her back still facing Chat Noir.

He watched her, and the only thing he could hear was his own heartbeat. Only thing he could see was her.

"Don't screw this up, Chat," he whispered to himself, creating a second noise in the silence of the sleeping city. Third noise if you counted the ever present wind.

…

"Not like you did last night… You just have to be… quiet. You just have to follow her, just have to watch out for her," he hissed to himself.

"Be quiet," Chat said. Of course, he didn't listen.

Chat sighed. Fantastic.

 _Just shut_ _ **up**_ _._

"Don't let this end like last time…"

 _Stop talking to yourself, dumbass…_

Finally, Chat's mouth stopped moving.

Anyway… He needed to focus.

Chat looked back up at Ladybug… except… she wasn't there?

Panicked and swearing at himself, he looked around for her.

 _Not again…_

A red blur suddenly caught his eye and he saw her again, but she was moving again, and quickly too. Chat jumped up and made to follow her.

Chat felt the pull again. The one he felt when they had first met, the pull he felt whenever he thought of her. The one he felt during any patrol ever. He just felt so _drawn_ to her, _intoxicated_.

Watching her run away… it sparked something inside of him. Chat growled at himself and leapt forward, quickly gaining speed.

She was like a light. And all Chat really wanted was to step out of the dark. He knew he was made for the shadows, but it couldn't possibly be bad to want to walk in the sunlight.

Chat followed Ladybug like a beacon. Like his beacon. She really shone. Even now, running through the dark labyrinth of the city, she seemed to glow, calling Chat.

And he thought to himself…

 _What would I do if I ever lost her..._

It might be selfish to want to save her not only for her, but for himself too. But what else could he do? This was something he promised when they first acknowledged themselves as partners. He would do anything for her well-being. Would do his best to ensure her safety.

This fell under that category.

He ran after her, always behind, and never far, but Chat wasn't worried about her seeing or hearing him. He blended in with the dark and right now, the wind was loud enough to block out nearly everything, or at least at the speed they were going.

Nobody would've been able to tell if someone was following them in these conditions.

They ran together. Through their city. It felt… intimate.

Ladybug kept going faster and faster. Chat could barely feel his feet on the ground.

Slowly, all his thoughts spun around and around until they became both so jumbled and so numb that the only sane thought left in his head was Ladybug. Everything was… gone. Except for _her._

She just kept moving, reaching a speed that Chat barely felt he could match.

God, it was always like that, wasn't it.

Chat felt the lightest he had in weeks. Here they were. Ladybug and Chat Noir, running through their city. Not held back with worries of Hawkmoth or akumas. Just the two of them. As it had always been.

And how it would always be.

Chat Noir huffed as he tried to keep up.

Ladybug was moving much quicker than she had been before.

Maybe she too was done with letting her worries hold her back. Maybe she also wanted to forget everything, wanted to go back to the good days. The simpler days. When Hawkmoth wasn't a threat and they were just starting to get to know each other.

Chat smiled against the wind and strained his muscles to keep himself at her pace.

God, he missed those days.

…

The two of them flew through the city. Ladybug ahead, Chat trailing behind her. Through the city, through their streets.

They flew together.

It seemed like they could keep going forever.

Seemed like they would stay like this forever, running forever.

…

And then,

She fell.

Chat could barely stop him momentum and he skidded to a halt, her sudden stop only allowing him enough time to stop a few buildings behind her.

She tripped, her feet catching on each other and her body tipping forward.

He watched, shocked as Ladybug collapsed right down to her shaking knees.

Chat gaped at her and stood, frozen, where he stood. He counted the buildings between them. It was only two.

He realized how close he was and looked around for a place to hide. He couldn't let her see him. It would ruin everything. Chat panicked, but as he looked at Ladybug...

… He realized he didn't have to.

Ladybug pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face in them. Blocking any chance of her seeing him.

She was- she was _shaking_.

Chat was only able to stand still for a moment.

He knew it was dumb. He knew it could possibly ruin his mission, but he couldn't just _stand here and watch her cry_.

Because she _was_ crying. She was- Ladybug was…

 _Crying._

Chat Noir clambered over to Ladybug's building, watching her the whole time to make sure she didn't see him. But, honestly, not caring if she did. In this moment, his cover came second. Ladybug came, and always would come, first.

He- he approached her. Silently, of course. He was pretty sure if he _was_ making any noise, the wind would cancel it out.

Chat Noir crouched down in front of her. In front of Ladybug.

In front of his world.

And- and he

He lifted his arm out, reaching out towards her.

He wanted to make it stop. Wanted so bad to make her stop crying. He could hear her now. They weren't quiet cries. Ladybug was _sobbing_.

He wanted them to be the best friends they always had been. Wanted them to be the soulmates he knew they were. Chat wanted _Ladybug_ back. Wanted their hours spent patrolling back. Wanting their reckless fighting back. Their friendly teasing. Their easy smiles.

He wanted _so much_.

Chat could feel his own face quivering, could feel his own tears threatening to fall. He hissed and blinked up at the sky, forcing them to stay back.

He looked back down at Ladybug.

What he would give to have her back.

What he would do to make her happy…

Words couldn't describe what he would do for her…

Chat Noir had never been more sure of his decision than in that moment. As he and Ladybug sat together on that roof. Alone, but _together_. Had never been more sure that this was what had to be done.

Ladybug never used to cry… Ladybug used to always be happy.

And consequently, so had Chat.

Whatever was making Ladybug this sad… It wasn't _her._ Ladybug was such a _happy_ person and always so full of _love_.

Chat knew he was right. In the beginning, when Ladybug had first told him of her crush, Chat was just _jealous._ He wanted Ladybug for himself and felt cheated out of her. Chat… Chat wasn't right then…

Now- Now Chat knew that something far worse was happening. He knew it. Something in Ladybug had _changed_ … She wasn't the _same_ anymore. The only reason for it…

It _had_ to be _him_. The guy she liked. Before Chat Noir had heard about this guy, he and Ladybug were so close. So happy.

Now…

Chat looked at Ladybug. Her shoulders were tensed and heaving.

He _hated_ it.

Chat Noir wanted nothing more than to reach out and pull her into his arms. To make her safe. To make her happy.

But he _couldn't_. Because the only way to make her happy was to get them both out of this mess. And to do that, he would have to go through her _boy toy_. And to do that, Chat would need to…

He sent one more look to Ladybug, at her shaking form. So small, so powerless. So _unlike the Ladybug he knew._

Ladybug was strong. She was powerful. Ladybug could make the world listen, could make it bow down.

She was going to make the world a better place. But only if Chat helped now.

He told himself that as he got up. As he brushed himself off. As he watched the love of his life sobbing on the ground, as he stepped backwards, away from her.

As he got off the roof and onto another, hiding himself back into the shadows, where he'd stayed all of his life and where he would continue to.

Let Ladybug have all the light. She _was_ the light. She would brighten up the world. Chat could only hope to save her.

…

They stayed there for a while. Around maybe two or three hours. Chat felt every second. It was hard not to.

Hard not to notice every second how Ladybug just sat there, unmoving.

Chat was, to say the least, concerned. But that wasn't new. That's why he was here: because of his concern. Because she needed help.

For a long time… Chat just watched her from where he crouched on a building. But soon… he began to lose focus.

When she finally untangled her arms from around herself and lifted her face up into the sky, Chat almost didn't notice. His attention had dwindled over the hours. He was lucky his sight was so good and he was able to catch the movement.

His own arms clumsily started to push himself up as Ladybug got to her feet, wiping at her face.

His heart was pounding.

 _What now…_

Ladybug… just stood there are a while. It was terribly confusing. What was she waiting for?

Chat looked up at the night sky. It was even darker than before. Surely she would head home now, right?

When she turned her body to face the direction Chat speculated she lived, he felt relieved.

Until he remembered what that meant for him…

Chat Noir gulped and prepared himself for what would hopefully happen. He would follow her home. He would see her drop her transformation. He would go home knowing her identity and, therefore, being able to identify her mystery man.

That was the plan. That had always been the plan.

So why did he feel so tense?

…

A second before Chat felt he would be ready, Ladybug started moving again, for the third time that night. Knowing that he had to do this, Chat Noir followed…

He waited until she had a five building start before matching her pace. He didn't want to stay too close, especially now when Ladybug was sure to have her guard up. She had always been especially careful whenever she went home. But Chat didn't want to fall behind either. This was it for him if he lost her. Before, he could've just looked for her again. But Ladybug was headed _home_ now. This was his only chance.

Chat made sure his footsteps were especially quiet and made it a point to blend into any darkness he had available. He moved from roof to roof as camouflaged as possible.

But…

It was almost like he didn't _need_ to.

Ladybug wasn't… didn't appear to be as _alert_ as she usually was… Definitely not as alert as Chat had expected her to be, especially after he had alerted her to his goal last night…

Something was up.

Chat couldn't afford to ask himself _why_. Couldn't look this gift horse in the mouth.

But it was weird….

For a few good minutes, Chat followed Ladybug tentatively, expecting her at any moment to turn around, or make a sharp turn, or _something_ to make sure that nobody was following her…

 _No way she's going to just… go home?_

Right?

But she just _kept going_. She kept jumping from roof to roof, only moving in one straight line towards what Chat assumed would be her destination.

Chat followed behind her in shock of her lack of precautions. Why wasn't she on the lookout? She should be watching her back! Chat didn't even care that it was _him_ trying to find her identity.

She was making it _too easy_.

The wind was loud. The sky was dark. It was a prime time for people to be sneaking around. Ladybug was smart. She should _know_ that.

Did she not?

He knew for a fact that she _did_.

So what was she _doing?_

…

Chat lost his focus on Ladybug and her peculiar actions as they began to near the neighborhood that Chat had gone to earlier. He _had_ been right. She _did_ live near here.

Ladybug moved through these buildings with ease, with a familiarity that only came with years of interacting. Yes, both heroes were at the nearby highschool for akumas a lot, but this went beyond that. Chat was shocked that he never noticed it when patrolling… But then again, he couldn't remember any time that he and Ladybug had patrolled this area together…

Smart.

Also familiar with this area, Chat was able to relax more, let himself naturally hug the darker places that he was aware of as he tailed his partner.

Where was she going? Exactly where did Ladybug live? As the heroes got closer to the school, Chat realized it made sense. Ladybug was _always_ quickly on scene whenever something went down there. Chat usually was too, but that was only on school days. During weekends and Summers, it took him a few minutes to travel down here, even by rooftop.

Ladybug turned for the first time in their run, and Chat almost missed it. She began to head down a street Chat was familiar with because it happened to be Marinette's street, and he usually stopped by to visit or to buy pastries from her parents' bakery.

Chat Noir expected that they would just run past it. Maybe get a whiff of some late night treats being baked.

He was _not_ expecting Ladybug to slow down and stop right next to the roof.

Chat was confused. He looked around at the buildings nearest to Ladybug. Maybe some of them were houses or apartments. Or maybe Ladybug was going to turn again…

But that didn't explain why she'd slowed to a complete stop. And Chat didn't think any of the other buildings had families living in them…

What? Why had she stopped here?

Ladybug walked over to Marinette's balcony… A bit strange, Chat thought, but he stayed back nonetheless.

Then Ladybug reached down, pulled open Marinette's trapdoor, and disappeared within.

 _What?_

Chat swung himself onto a high window, trying to get a good angle so he could see inside Marinette's room. Had Ladybug gone _inside?_ She had to… But that made no sense… Chat had thought she was going home. Was this why she hadn't been on the lookout? Was it because she wasn't going to _her_ hou-

…

A quick flash of bright light flashed out of Marinette's window and Chat Noir lost his grip on the window. He fell to the ground, but quickly picked himself up to crane his neck up towards Marinette's room.

 _What was that?_

What was that light…?

He couldn't _see_ from down here. Chat Noir turned towards the building he had fell from and used its bricks to pull himself up and over the building, bringing him to the rooftop. With a better view, Chat leaned over the edge and stared directly into Marinette's room.

But… Ladybug wasn't there.

That made no sense… Chat had _seen_ Ladybug go inside. Maybe she had noticed Chat following her, ducked in Marinette's room as a distraction, and climbed out the window the second Chat looked away?

No… She hadn't seen Chat. And she wouldn't have had time to escape without Chat seeing her.

But she _wasn't there_.

…

The only person inside the room was…

…

 **Marinette.**

…

… _what?_

 _ **What.**_

Chat scrambled against the building he was hidden against, suddenly losing all of his composure and instincts. He gasped and his hand flew up to his mouth.

 _ **What?**_

 _ **No way…**_

It- it wasn't possible…. He obviously had missed something, Ladybug was somewhere else, happily evading him, Chat couldn't make himself believe that-

…

Chat trembled. He hadn't meant- He hadn't known…

…

…

…

…

His lip quivered. Not from the threat of tears, it just _did._ His hand was shaking. He should know, he was holding it up in front of his face.

What was happening?

Where- was he?

He glanced back up at Marinette's window.

 _Oh right_.

 _Oh_ **shit**.

He knew what this meant, he knew he did. He was smart enough to. But at the same time, Adrien- _no,_ he was _**Chat**_ , couldn't exactly put his thoughts together… if that… made sense?

His eyes lost their focus and everything became blurry. Suddenly, the wind wasn't so loud anymore. Chat could hear his breath. He couldn't _feel_ himself breathing, but he heard it. He was breathing… pretty heavily. He was. He could also hear… ringing? No… that had to be just in his head.

He squeezed his eyes shut so tightly that it hurt and he guessed his legs became too weak to hold him up because the next thing he knew, Chat was on his knees.

 _How… How did this happen?_

 _What- What's going on…?_

Chat kept clenching his hands together. He didn't know why. He didn't **know anything. What was going on. What-**

Marinette was-

 **Ladybug was-**

Nono no no. no it didn't make sense **.**

There was _no way._

Chat tried to open his eyes, but that just… didn't work…? So he- he

He pushed himself up with his hand… Chat almost fell over again, but he, he stayed up.

His eyes opened easier now…

He looked around him, not really _looking_ , actually, more like _seeing_ because Chat didn't really retain anything.

He couldn't- couldn't just _stay_ here, could he? _No._ No he couldn't.

He couldn't-

…

Couldn't think straight…

Chat sent one last look up to Marinette's, _**Ladybug's**_ ( _ **oh**_ _**god**_ **...** ), window.

And he bolted.


End file.
